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■'.atlti'aii.  .-.Jililk 


PONTIAC 


CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS 


^A/ 


A  TALE  OF  THE  SIEGE  OF 
DETROIT 

BY 
COLONEL  H.  R.  GORDON 


NEW  YORK 
R.  P.  DIJTTON  &  COMPANY 

31  West  Twenty-third  Street 


83.74 


Copyright 
E.  P.  BUTTON  &  CO. 

1897 


9^n^n 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTBK 

I.   NIGHT  ON  THE  RIVER 

I 

II.   OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND 

•  •  •  .        II 

III.  THROUGH  THE  SHADOWS 

21 

IV.  THE  LEFT  SHORE 

31 

V.  THE  RIGHT  SHORE 

41 

VI.    ••  BLOW  HER  UP,  JACK  !  " 

••••..        51 
VII.  WAITING  FOR  DAYLIGHT 

•  •  ♦  •  .        61 

VIII.  THE  ABSENT  ONE 

* 71 

IX.  MISSING 

81 

X.  THE  KNIGHT  TO  THE  RESCUE 

91 

XI.  FRIEND  OR  FOE  ? 

lOI 

XIJ.  ON  THE  river's  MARGIN 

ZIZ 

Xm.  CATHARINE  . 

.   xaz 

XIV.  A  CANOE  AND  ITS  OCCUPANTS 

*  •         •  •  •     131 

XV.   OUTWITTED 

141 

XVI.  WALLED  IN 

151 

XVII.   WHO  WAS  SHE  ?      . 

161 

XVIII.  PONTIAC 

170 

XIX.   WHITHER? 

• 180 

XX.  MADGE  .  , 

xoo 

iU 


*^  CONTENTS. 

XXr.   A  PRAYER  AND  ITS  ANSWER  ....  300 

XXII.   FREE? 

210 


XXIII.  "she'll  DO  IT" 

320 

XXIV.  THE  PLOTTERS     . 

•  •  •  .   -       4  .  .  .230 

XXV.  A  surprise 

240 

XXVI.   THE  PLOT    . 

250 

XXVII.   OUT  IN  THE  NIGHT       .  .  t. 

••••••      200 

XXVIII.    THE  CLEW 

270 

XXIX.   THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER       ,  .  ,  .  .     280 

XXX.  CONCLUSION 

•  •■         •  •  •         •  •     990 


A"'- 


,-/';■/'  .•.•V 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FAGS 

PONTIAC  AND  HIS  WARRIORS ^g 

THE  NIGHT  ATTACK  ON  THE  SCHOONER  (Frontispiece)     .        ,  57 

"WHERE  IS  SHE  NOW?" gQ 

"GO  back!    go  back!" 11^ 

THE  LAST  OF  PIERRE jjO 

AN  UNEXPECTED  FRIEND 1 77 

IN  THE  NICK  OF  TIME 2l8 

CHECKED 204 


■SSSSSSSsrsf. 


JI.|i„!fLHmig"-!LJiUM.-.%WM 


I;':'^   "v 


'i->  ■,\.'' 


PONTIAC, 

CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

NIGHT  ON  THE  RIVER. 

CAPTAIN  HORST,  in  charge  of  the  small 
schooner  Gladivyn  from  Niagara,  v/as  as- 
cending the  Detroit  river,  on  his  way  to  the 
frontier  post  of  Detroit,  which  had  been  besieged 
for  several  months  by  the  great  Pontiac,  chief  of  the 
Ottawas.  It  was  the  dream  of  that  leader,  as  it  had 
been  of  King  Philip,  nearly  a  century  before,  to 
unite  all  of  his  race  against  the  whites  and  to  wage 
a  remorseless  war  which  should  not  end  until  the 
last  pale  face  was  driven  from  the  hunting  grounds 
of  the  red  men. 

The  reader  of  American  history  hardly  needs  to  be 
reminded  that  at  the  conclusion  of  the  French  and 
Indian  war,  France  gave  up  by  treaty  all  her  domain 
in  the  new  world.  Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of 
that  war,  she  established  a  chain  of  military  posts  in 

I 


9  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

the  west,  her  purpose  being  to  found  a  great  empire 
in  the  Mississippi  valley.  The  capture  of  Quebec  in 
1759  foreshadowed  so  clearly  the  decisive  end,  that 
the  famous  ranger,  Major  Robert  Rogers,  was  sent 
with  an  escort  in  the  following  year  to  receive  the 
surrender  of  the  French  posts  in  the  west.  Detroit 
made  its  submission  in  November,  in  the  presence 
of  hundreds  of  Indians,  who  could  not  understand 
why  so  large  a  force  of  Frenchmen  surrendered  to  so 
small  a  body  of  English  soldiers. 

But  the  sagacious  Pontiac,  \vho  was  among  the  spec- 
tators, grasped  the  whole  meaning  of  the  strange  scene. 
"  The  Englishmen  have  conquered  the  French,"  he 
said,  "  and  now  they  will  turn  on  us  and  make  us 
their  slaves,  but  that  shall  never  be." 

And  then  the  terrible  leader  of  the  Ottawas  began 
forming  that  far-reaching  conspiracy,  which  forms 
one  of  the  most  dramatic  episodes  in  our  history. 
The  American  Indian  possesses  in  perfection  the  art 
of  contenting  his  soul  with  patience,  while  await- 
ing the  favorable  moment  for  action.  The  weeks 
lengthened  into  months  until  full  two  years  had 
come  and  gone,  before  the  arrival  of  the  day  for 
striking  the  prodigious  blow  intended  to  wipe  out 
every  one  of  the  English  posts  in  the  west.  » 

Pontiac's  messengers  threaded  their  way  through 
the  dismal  wilderness  to  tribes  hundreds  of  miles 
distant,  and  in  most  cases  secured  their  pledges  to 


NIGHT  ON  THE  RIVER,  % 

join  in  the  plot,  which  was  as  simple  as  it  was  com- 
prehensive. It  was,  in  short,  that  on  May  7,  1763, 
the  Indians  should  attack  the  post  nearest  them  and 
then  join  in  assailing  the  settlements.  The  plan  was 
successful  in  a  number  of  instances,  but  Major  Glad- 
wyn,  the  commandant  at  Detroit,  received  warning 
from  an  Ojibwa  maiden  and  took  such  precautions 
that  when  Pontiac  and  his  warriors  were  admitted 
within  the  palisades,  under  the  pretense  of  making  a 
friendly  call,  they  withdrew  without  firing  a  gun  or 
raising  a  hostile  hand. 

Pontiac  kept  up  the  semblance  of  friendship  for 
a  short  time,  when,  seeing  that  it  was  useless,  he 
threw  aside  all  disguise  and  began  the  siege  of  De- 
troit. The  tribes  under  his  immediate  control  were 
Ottawas,  Ojibwas,  Pottawatomies,  and  Wyandots, 
afterward  joined  by  others. 

Detroit,  at  that  time,  was  laid  out  in  the  form  of 
a  square,  inclosed  by  a  high  paUsade.  At  each  cor- 
ner of  this  palisade  was  a  wooden  bastion,  mounting 
several  pieces  of  artillery,  and  there  were  block- 
houses over  the  gateway.  The  seventy-five  or 
eighty  dwellings  were  separated  by  narrow  streets 
and  were  all  made  of  wood.  The  garrison  included 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  while  a  third  as  many 
more  were  capable  of  bearing  arms  should  the  neces- 
sity arise.  Two  armed  schooners  lay  near  at  hand 
in  the  river. 


4  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

This  is  not  the  place  to  give  a  detailed  history  of 
the  siege  of  Detroit,  which,  beginning  in  May,  had 
continued  about  three  months,  when  the  incidents 
we  have  set  out  to  describe  took  place.  In  the 
interval,  the  Indians  had  tried  without  success  to 
start  a  conflagration  among  the  inflammable  build- 
ings of  the  post,  and  had  failed  to  destroy  by  means 
of  fire  rafts,  the  schooners  lying  in  the  river.  They 
had  cut  off  supplies  and  reinforcements  which  tried 
to  reach  Detroit  by  way  of  the  lake,  and  had  in- 
flicted a  frightful  defeat,  with  the  loss  of  sixty  killed 
and  wounded,  including  the  leader.  Major  Dalzell, 
in  his  attempt  to  surprise  the  besiegers.  ' 

Ever  since  that  fateful  day,  the  scene  of  the  mas- 
sacre has  been  known  as  Bloody  Ridge,  and  it  was 
during  the  following  week  that  Captain  Horst  en- 
tered the  river  with  his  small  sloop  and  crew  of  ten 
men,  he  being  on  his  way  with  dispatches  and  pro- 
visions from  Niagara  for  Major  Gladwyn.  The  post 
had  begun  to  feel  the  lack  of  supplies  and  could  not 
hope  to  hold  out  much  longer  without  help. 

The  captain's  wish  and  expectation  was  to  reach 
Detroit  before  night  set  in.  The  smart  breeze  car- 
ried the  craft  forward  at  a  good  rate,  and  the  hopes 
of  all  were  high,  for  every  one  comprehended  the 
importance  of  reaching  Detroit  while  daylight 
lasted.  The  wooded  shores  were  the  hiding-places 
of  hundreds  of  scowling  warriors,  intently  watching 


SB. 


N2GHT  ON  THE  RIVER,    'i  V  | 

from  cover  the  progress  of  the  boat,  but  afraid  to 
attack  even  with  the  smallness  of  the  crew  apparent, 
without  the  darkness  to  aid  them.  They  were  as 
anxious  for  the  wind  to  die  out  as  were  the  white 
men  that  it  should  hold,  and  sad  to  say  the  hopes 
of  the  warriors  were  gratified. 

The  breeze  became  fitful  as  the  afternoon  drew  to 
a  close,  and  each  revival  was  fainter  and  weaker, 
until,  just  as  twilight  set  in,  the  sails  hung  limp  and 
the  surface  of  the  river  became  as  smooth  as  a  sum- 
mer millpond. 

Captain  Horst  had  navigated  the  lakes  and  inland 
waters  long  enough  to  read  unerringly  all  these 
signs.  He  knew  there  would  not  be  another  breath 
of  air  until  the  sun  appeared  above  the  horizon  on 
the  morrow. 

"  It  's  no  use,"  he  said,  compressing  his  lips  and 
shaking  his  head,  "  we  're  in  for  it,  and  are  sure  to 
see  high  jinks  before  we  see  Detroit."        - 

"  You  're  right.  Cap;  the  varmints  are  as  thick 
as  bees  round  a  honeycomb,  on  both  sides  of  the 
river. 

"  I  have  n't  seen  any."        ;    v'  ' 

"I  hev,"  was  the  quiet  response;  "  they  don't 
show  themselves  if  they  can  help  it  at  such  times  as 
these,  but  I  've  had  more  *n  one  glimpse  of  *em, 
consarn  'em  !  " 

The  Gladwyn  was  the  smaller  of  the  two  schooners 


6  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF   THE  OTTAWAS. 

which  lay  at  Detroit  during  most  of  the  siege,  and 
which  Pontiac  had  vainly  attempted  to  destroy  by 
means  of  fire  rafts.  It  had  been  sent  to  Niagara 
with  letters  and  dispatches,  and  was  now  returning 
with  a  crew  of  ten  men,  besides  Horst,  the  master, 
and  Jacobs,  the  mate.  In  addition  there  were  six 
friendly  Iroquois  Indians,  that  had  been  allowed  to 
go  along  as  passengers. 

When  it  was  evident  that  the  vessel  could  pass  no 
further  that  night  and  the  anchor  was  dropped,  the 
Iroquois  asked  to  be  set  ashore,  saying  they  were  in 
a  hurry  to  reach  their  destination,  which  was  not 
very  definitely  located.  The  master  of  the  vessel 
did  not  like  this  request,  and  the  veteran  ranger,  Jo 
Spain,  shook  his  head. 

*  *  It  means  mischief,  * '  he  said. 

••  You  don't  think  they  '11  join  Pontiac  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,  but  it  is  n't  sartin;  I  've  had  deal- 
in 's  with  the  varmints  before  and  they  're  all  alike. 
But  they  're  sure  to  make  their  way  to  Pontiac's 
camp  and  let  him  know  how  weak  we  are. "        •      v; 

**  Does  n't  he  know  that  now  ?  "  ^^ 

"  No;  how  could  he  ?  He  has  seen  our  men  on 
deck,  but  he  don't  know  that  it  is  all  of  'em ;  he 
may  think  we  're  keeping  a  lot  out  of  sight,  so  as  to 
give  him  and  his  warriors  'tickler  thunder  when  they 
come  out  to  tackle  us." 

•*  What  shall  I  do,  Jo?" 


I  NIGHT  ON   THE  RIVER,  ^ 

The  half-dozen  Iroquois,  wrapped  in  their  blan- 
kets, despite  the  sultriness  of  the  weather,  were 
standing  sullenly  apart  near  the  bow,  looking  off  to 
the  right  in  the  direction  of  Fighting  Island,  oppo- 
site which  the  schooner  was  becalmed. 

**  You  can't  do  anything  but  let  'em  go." 

The  master  of  the  craft  showed  his  surprise  at 
this  remark. 

**  You  tell  me  to  do  the  very  thing  I  should  n't 
do." 

"  'Cause  you  can't  help  it.  It  won't  do  to  tie 
these  consarned  varmints  up,  for  some  of  'em  would 
get  loose  during  the  fight,  and  then  we  shall  have 
them  to  fight,  and  that  '11  be  too  much  of  a  good 
thing." 

"  Then  it  's  best  to  let  them  go,  for  if  we  refuse 
and  don't  bind  them,  they  will  take  the  chance  to 
slip  overboard,  and  in  revenge  will  join  our  ene- 


mies." 


The  ranger  nodded  his  head. 

"  You  've  hit  the  idee  'zactly.  I  *m  powerful 
sorry  that  they  want  to  leave  us  just  at  this  time; 
when  I  heerd  'em  talkin'  it  over  among  themselves, 
I  tried  to  argufy  'em  out  of  it,  but  when  an  Injin 
has  sot  his  mind  on  anything,  you  may  as  well  give 
up,  so  I  told  *em  we  'd  set  'em  ashore."    ,  r 

"  What  did  they  say  to  that  ? " 

"grunted  and  nodded  their  heads.    Red  Feather, 


8  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

the  leader,  said  he  and  the  rest  was  our  friends,  and 
if  there  was  any  trouble,  they  'd  come  back  and 
fight  for  us.  I  tried  to  make  'em  b'leve  I  swallered 
that,  but  it  was  hard  work. "  . 

"  Shall  we  take  them  ashore  in  the  boat  or  let 
them  swim  ? '  * 

"  It  would  n't  do  to  make  'em  swim,  for  that 
would  hurt  thc'r  feelin's.  They  *d  know  why  we 
done  it,  and  it  would  give  'em  an  excuse  for  helpin' 
Pontiac."  ^/-    "-m^ 

"  Do  they  need  an  excuse  ?  "  -  »>  • 

"  Mebbe,  I  *m  wrong,"  said  Jo,  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  during  which  he  glanced  at  the  dusky 
figures  near  the  prow,  rapidly  growing  indistinct  in 
the  gathering  crioom;  "  I  may  be  mistook,  but  I 
hev  a  hope  that  Fed  Feather  and  the  rest  won't  do 
anything  more  'n  to  tell  Pontiac  that  there  *s  only  a 
dozen  of  us."  ^ 

♦^  "  What  is  your  reason  for  hoping  that  ?  " 

"  These  Iroquois,  you  know,  stood  by  us  purty 
well  in  the  war  that  's  about  come  to  an  end ;  them 
six  tribes  that  make  up  the  Iroquoib  people  are 
strong  enough  to  clean  out  all  the  other  varmints- 
in  the  country.  Consequently  and  aforesaid,  they 
would  do  as  they  danged  please.  Pontiac  would  be 
tickled  to  death  if  he  could  get  the  Iroquois  to  jine 
him  in  this  bus'ness,  but  they  've  got  too  much 
sense.     When  these  half  a  dozen  go  into  his  camp 


NIGHT  ON   THE  RIVER,  X  .    9 

he  darsen't  try  to  make  'em  do  what  they  don't 
want  to  do,  'cause  he  knows  the  Iroquois  at  home 
would  n't  stand  it.  When  they  larned  of  it  they  'd 
clean  out  all  the  Ottawas,  Ojibwas,  Pottawatomies, 
and  Wyandots  in  the  country.  That  *s  the  kind 
of  folks  the  Iroquois  are.  But  all  the  same,  these 
varmints  nat'rally  wish  Pontiac  well,  and  they  '11  let 
'em  know  how  many  men  we  have  aboard.  Pontiac 
will  feel  mighty  good  over  it.  He  's  been  tryin'  to 
burn  this  schooner,  and  now  he  '11  know  of  a  sar- 
tinty  that  the  Great  Spirit  has  give  it  into  his 
hands. 

"  You  speak  as  if  Pontiac  is  with  the  Indians 
along  shore.  We  are  nine  miles  below  Detroit :  is 
it  not  more  probable  that  he  is  near  the  fort  ?  " 

"  Wal,  as  to  that,  there  's  no  sayin'.  Mebbe  he 
is  n't  on  the  bank  over  to  the  left  or  on  Fightin' 
Island,  off  there  to  the  right.  I  don't  know  that  it 
makes  much  difference  one  way  or  t'other.  We  're 
bound  to  catch  it  sure  to-night." 

"  It  will  be  a  risky  thing  to  take  these  Iroquois 
ashore." 

**  I  '11  take  'em,"  remarked  Jo,  as  he  might  have 
remarked  that  he  would  eat  his  dinner  when  it  was 
ready;  "  it  's  'bout  dark  'nough." 

The  ranger  sauntered  to  the  bow  of  the  schooner, 
where  the  six  dusky  passengers  stood  apart  from  the 
crew,  talking  together  now  and  then  in  low  tones. 


lO 


PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 


Jo  Spain  had  the  peculiar  gift  of  readily  learning  an 
Indian  tongue,  and  he  could  talk  to  these  warriors 
as  well  as  to  his  own  people.  Not  only  that,  but 
he  was  familiar  with  the  Ottawa  and  several  other 
Indian  lingoes.  ' 

The  Iroquois  held  their  heads  bent,  their  coarse 
black  hair  dangling  about  their  shoulders,  and  they 
glanced  sideways  at  the  white  man  as  he  drew  near. 
They  formed  a  picturesque  group,  with  their  stained 
feathers  in  the  crowns  of  their  heads,  but  they 
seemed  to  feel  some  pleasure  at  the  approach  of  the 
famous  fighter  of  their  race. 

"Does  my  brothers  wish  to  go  ashore?"  he 
asked,  addressing  himself  more  directly  to  Red 
Feather,  who  replied : 

"  It  is  our  wish,  but  the  Iroquois  are  the  brothers 
of  the  English." 

"  You  have  showed  that  more  'n  once,"  was  the 
diplomatic  comment  of  Jo;  "  it  shall  be  as  you 
wish;  we  '11  step  into  the  boat,  and  I  '11  take  you  to 
land.    Come  with  me." 


•\    *'-.: 


;■■"•.;■•' 


CHAPTER  II. 

OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND. 

THE  ranger  walked  to  the  stern  of  the  schooner, 
where  the  small  boat  was  fastened.  Captain 
Horst  saluted  the  Indians  as  they  passed,  and 
bade  them  good-by.  They  grunted  in  reply,  and 
stepped  carefully  into  the  boat,  which  they  would 
have  liked  better  had  it  been  a  canoe,  to  which  they 
were  accustomed,  but  they  showed  no  hesitation, 
for  the  craft  was  capable  of  carrying  a  greater  num- 
ber than  they.  They  had  seen  such  row-boats 
before,  and  they  took  their  seats  with  judgment. 

Jo  was  the  last  one  to  enter,  unfastening  the  rope 
before  he  did  so.  Then,  instead  of  using  the  two 
oars,  as  is  the  custom,  he  employed  one  as  a  paddle, 
following  the  fashion  of  the  Indians,  by  dipping  it 
first  on  one  side  of  the  boat  and  then  on  the  other. 
He  was  seated  at  the  stern,  and  by  adopting  this 
method  he  faced  all  of  his  undesirable  passengers. 

There  could  be  no  question  as  to  the  extreme 
danger  of  the  task  the  ranger  had  undertaken.  He 
was  not  only  in  the  power  of  these  six  Iroquois, 
every  one  of  whom  carried  a  rifle  and  knife,  but  he 

XI 


in  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

was  approaching  land  where  there  was  no  doubt  of 
the  intense  hostility  of  the  savages  lurking  along  the 
bank.  It  was  questionable  whether  Red  Feather 
and  his  companions  could  save  him  from  harm  if  the 
Ottawas  offered  it,  and  equally  questionable  whether 
they  would  do  so  if  the  opportunity  was  theirs. 

To  the  astonishment  of  Captain  Horst,  Jo  left  his 
rifle  behind  him  upon  enterng  the  smaller  boat.  But 
there  was  reason  in  his  action,  because  if  danger 
should  come  the  single  weapon  could  not  save  him, 
and  he  would  be  handicapped  by  the  necessity  of 
taking  care  of  it.  If  anything  would  appeal  to  the 
chivalry  of  the  Iroquois  (admitting  that  any  of  the 
people  possessed  that  virtue)  this  apparent  trust  in 
their  honor  would  do  so. 

In  leaving  the  Gladwyn,  Jo  Spain  headed  toward 
Fighting  Island,  on  his  right,  but  was  hardly  out  of 
sight  of  the  schooner  when  Red  Feather  told  him 
that  it  was  their  desire  to  land  upon  the  mainland, 

to  the  left.      "^  '^v,      .,v.,  ,         !  .  ,■  ,    -:•„,,,;,  .-,;:     ,  -,;,■;?., 

"  It  shall  be  as  my  brother  wishes,"  replied  the 
ranger,  immediately  turning  the  boat  about,  taking 
care,  however,  to  pass  the  schooner  at  such  a  dis- 
tance that  it  could  not  be  seen. 

The  critical  question  with  Jo  was  whether  there 
was  any  understanding  between  the  Iroquois  in  his 
small  boat  and  the  Ottawas  on  the  mainland.  If 
such  were  the  fact,  he  knew  his  fate  was  sealed,  but 


OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND.  1 3 

with  all  his  acuteness  and  suspicion,  he  could  not 
believe  that  anything  of  the  kind  existed.  The 
schooner  had  been  continually  moving  until  the  fail- 
ure of  the  wind  at  nightfall,  and  no  communication 
could  have  passed  between  the  parties  during  that 
time. 

It  was  impossible  that  an  agreement  was  made 
before  the  vessel  left  Fort  Niagara,  for  no  one  could 
have  foreseen  the  present  situation  of  affairs.  On 
the  whole,  therefore,  the  ranger  believed  that  the 
only  peril  to  which  he  was  likely  to  be  exposed  was 
that  which  developed  with  the  progress  of  incidents 
themselves. 

He  carefully  plied  the  oar,  and  in  due  time  the 
faint  outline  of  the  towering  trees  showed  that  he 
was  near  shore.  He  held  his  course  at  right  angles 
until  the  branches  were  almost  over  his  head,  when, 
by  a  dextrous  flirt  of  the  paddle,  he  shot  the  boat 
fully  fifty  feet  further  up  stream. 

* '  Why  does  my  brother  do  that  ?  *  *  angrily  asked 
Red  Feather,  turning  his  scowling  face  toward  him. 

"  The  place  is  not  good  for  my  brother's  feet," 
was  the  calm  reply,  though  Jo  was  influenced  by  a 
far  different  reason.       ifi      >     ■ 

"  All  places  are  good  for  the  feet  of  the  Iro- 
quois." '^  ■■  '••■  '  ■  '■  ■•■'■•     ■   ^    '",        J  J.  ,. 

"  Very  well,  then,  we  '11  land  here." 

And  as  he  spoke  the  words,  he  drove  the  bow  of 


14  FONT! AC,    CHIEF  OF   THE   OTTAWAS. 

the  craft  so  hard  against  the  bank  that  It  stopped 
with  a  bump  so  sudden  that  every  one  was  jarred. 

It  was  a  trying  moment,  and  the  ranger  was  lis- 
tening for  some  signal  or  the  rush  of  the  Ottawas. 
The  Iroquois  rose  slowly  and  left  the  boat.  Jo  bade 
them  good-by  again,  and,  hardly  able  to  repress  his 
anxiety,  instantly  pushed  out  from  shore,  plying 
the  oar  with  the  utmost  vigor  at  his  command. 

And  this  was  the  most  trying  moment  of  all. 
The  sharp  question  of  Red  Feather  was  a  betrayal 
of  his  feelings,  and  Jo  half  expected  that  the  whole 
six  would  let  fly  at  him,  with  the  intervening  space 
so  brief  that  a  miss  was  impossible.  His  position 
was  much  like  that  of  an  officer  trying  to  preserve 
his  dignity  while  walking  away  from  an  enemy  aim- 
ing at  him.  In  fact,  when  sure  that  the  impetus  of 
the  boat  would  take  it  beyond  sight,  Jo  dropped 
down  in  the  bottom,  where  he  was  protected  from 
any  bullets  that  might  whistle  about  his  ears. 

But  not  a  shot  was  fired,  a  fact  which  led  him  to 
conclude  that  Red  Feather  and  his  companions  were 
indifferent  as  to  what  befell  him  and  the  rest. 

"  They  don't  care  about  my  scalp,  but  they  '11  let 
the  other  varmints  know  there  *s  only  a  dozen  of  us 
to  defend  the  schooner,  and  maybe  the  Iroquois 
will  help  in  the  attack,  so  as  to  keep  their  hands 


in." 


When  about  to  resume  the  paddle,  he  heard  a 


OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND,  1 5 

gentle  plash  in  the  water.  All  sounds  were  signifi- 
cant at  such  times,  and  he  suspected  that  an  enemy 
was  swimming  toward  him.  His  keen  sense  of  hear- 
ing told  him  precisely  the  point  whence  came  the 
noise,  and  he  cautiously  peered  over  the  side  of  the 
boat,  hoping  to  catch  sight  of  his  foe. 

"  One  thing  's  sartin,"  thought  the  ranger,  "  if 
he  's  got  his  gun  with  him  he  can't  use  it  in  the 
water — so  we  stand  the  same  as  to  that. " 

Jo  Spain  did  not  carry  a  pistol,  for  that  weapon 
of  those  days  was  a  clumsy  and  unhandy  aflair. 
The  rangers  depended  upon  their  unerring  rifles  and 
upon  their  knives  when  it  came  to  a  hand-to-hand 
encounter. 

He  failed  to  detect  anything  suspicious,  and,  im- 
prudent though  it  might  seem,  he  settled  into  the 
belief  that  the  slight  disturbance  was  caused  by  a 
fish,  which,  a.  they  are  fond  of  doing  on  still  sum- 
mer nights,  had  flung  itself  in  sport  out  of  the 
water, 

St?U,  the  keen  eyes  of  the  ranger  continually 
roamed  over  the  water  on  every  side,  as  he  swung 
the  paddle.  He  had  calculated  the  distance  so 
accurately  that  he  was  not  obliged  to  swerve  to  the 
right  or  left,  after  catching  sight  of  the  motionless 

schooner.  r  .^:\;.  .;•■■<;.■  ■;•. :«.,  •. „.-.■, . .'.;  ^v^:-  \ 

"  Is  that  you,  Jo  ?"  called  Captain  Horst,  in  a 
guarded  undertone.   ....,.■.,:-]:■-:.:  ^■•..•■,}^-'.^%--^r^:..  .., . 


1 6  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

"  It  *s  me/*  was  the  reply,  as  the  ranger  ran  the 
little  boat  under  the  stern  of  the  larger  craft, 
climbed  out  and  made  it  fast. 

•  "  I  'm  greatly  relieved  to  see  you  back,"  said  the 
master,  "  for  it  was  a  risky  venture  to  make,  but 
you  came  from  the  direction  of  the  mainland." 

'  *  After  heading  fur  the  island.  Red  Feather  told 
me  he  wanted  to  land  on  t'other  shore,  so  I  took 
'em  there.  We  had  n't  any  fuss  in  partin'.  What 's 
to  be  the  end  I  don't  know,  but  I  'm  glad  we  're  rid 
of 'em." 

Captain  Horst  had  lost  no  time  in  making  ready 
for  the  attack  of  their  enemies.  Many  of  the  prep- 
arations were  made  immediately  after  dropping  the 
anchor,  so  as  to  impress  the  Indians  with  their 
watchfulness.  The  single  small  cannon  on  board 
was  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  slugs  and  scrap  iron 
and  would  be  a  most  effective  weapon  at  short 
range.  Every  man  of  the  twelve  owned  a  rifle.  In 
truth,  there  were  three  or  four  extra  ones.  Ammu- 
nition was  plentiful,  most  of  the  men  possessed 
knives,  and  there  were  several  hatchets  and  axes. 
It  was  certain  that  the  assailants  would  receive  a 
fierce  reception  whenever  they  came. 

Everything  that  could  be  done  had  been  done 
when  Jo  Spain  walked  to  the  stern  of  the  schooner 
with  the  captain,  where  they  could  converse  a  little 
apart  from  the  rest. 


OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND,  1/ 

"It  can't  do  any  good  to  speculate  as  to  what 
Red  Feather  and  the  others  will  do,  and  I  don't 
think  six  makes  much  difference  where  there  's  so 
many.  I  wonder  that  they  did  n't  open  fire  on  us 
from  the  shore  when  we  were  in  such  plain  sight, 
after  the  wind  died  out  and  I  had  to  drop  anchor. 
But  they  did  not  even  show  themselves,  though 
they  could  have  picked  off  some  of  us." 

"  Thar  's  nuthin'  that  a  redskin  likes  so  much  as 
to  'sprise  an  enemy;  them  varmints  don't  want  us 
to  think  they  've  any  idee  of  botherin'  us;  they 
mean  to  come  out  here  to-night,  and  hope  we  won't 
be  'spectin'  anything  of  the  kind.  If  one  of  'em 
had  let  fly  at  us,  it  would  have  upset  their  whole 
plan.     You  catch  the  idee,  Cap  ?  " 

The  bronzed  captain  nodded  his  head,  holding 
his  thin  lips  compressed,  while  his  gray  eyes  glit- 
tered. He  had  been  an  active  partisan  in  the  French 
and  Indian  war,  barely  closed,  and  few  understood 
the  treacherous  nature  of  the  redmen  better  than 
he.  He  required  no  argument  to  convince  him  that 
he  would  never  see  Detroit  without  a  desperate 
fight  with  the  followers  of  Pontiac,  who  had  been 
told  by  the  French  settlers  that  the  king  of  their 
country  was  asleep,  Hut  would  soon  awake  and  come 
to  help  thtAw  drive  all  the  English  from  the  country. 

It  was  noticeable  that  the  crew  of  the  schooner, 
in  making  their  dispositions  for  the  night,  almost 


l8  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

involuntarily,  as  may  be  said,  protected  themselves, 
so  far  as  they  could,  while  moving  about  the  craft. 
As  there  was  no  telling  from  which  shore  the  blow 
would  come,  the  slender  masts  were  of  little  avail, 
but  the  furtive  glance,  the  haste  from  one  point  to 
another,  the  ducking  of  the  head,  and  the  numerous 
evidences  of  misgiving  were  so  common  that  the 
captain  reproved  the  brave  fellows  more  than  once, 
setting  the  example  by  standing  as  erect  as  if  his 
boat  were  in  the  middle  of  Lake  Erie. 

"  When  do  you  suppose  they  will  attack  us  ?'* 
was  the  captain's  question. 

The  ranger  shook  his  head. 

"  The  fav'rite  time  with  the  varmints  is  just  afore 
daylight,  when  white  folks  sleep  the  soundest,  but 
they  don't  always  wait  that  long.  It  depends  on 
sarcumstances ;  they  '11  wait  till  they  think  we  've 
give  up  the  idea  of  their  comin',  and  then  they  '11 
be  down  on  us  like  a  house  afire." 
'  "  We  must  not  let  them  come  over  the  rail,"  said 
Captain  Horst,  with  another  flash  of  his  fine  gray 
eyes.  -  '^'  ■''■^'■^■■-•' 

**  No,  sir;  fur,  if  you  do,  we  're  gone  !  They 
will  attack  in  such  a  swarm  that  they  won't  need 
mor'n  half  a  chance;  if  they  get  that,  it  will  be 
good-by  to  us  all ;  they  '11  scoop  every  scalp  in  the 
crowd." 

When  I  find  hope  gone,  I  *11  blow  up  the  boat  ! 


«« 


OFF  FIGHTING  ISLAND.  1 9 

.    » 

If  we  have  got  to  go  to  kingdom  come,  wc  *11  send 
more  of 'em  in  the  other  direction." 

There  was  no  braggadocio  in  these  words.  The 
master  would  not  hesitate  to  carry  out  his  reso- 
lution. 3, 

"  That  hits  me  right,"  remarked  the  ranger,  as  if 
communing  with  himself,  as  his  restless  eyes  roved 
from  shore  to  shore;  "  when  you  find  you  've  got 
to  go,  why  do  it  in  style  !  As  I  take  it,  there  *s 
*nough  powder  aboard  to  blow  this  old  vessel  sky 
high." 

"  Yes;  we  have  several  hundred  pounds,  intended 
for  Major  Gladwyn ;  it  will  be  a  good  deal  better  to 
go  out  with  that  than  to  have  the  Indians  finish  us, 
by  tomahawk  or  stake. " 

**  Of  course,  not  forgetting  that  it  will  make  a 
purty  good-sized  hole  in  Pontiac's  people  at  the 
same  time — ^but,  here  *s  Asher,  who  looks  as  if  he 
wanted  to  say  something." 

The  faces  of  the  two  veterans  lit  up,  as  a  young 
man,  not  more  than  eighteen  years  of  age,  came 
toward  them,  making  a  half-military  salute  to  both 
as  if  apologizing  for  his  intrusion.  He  saw  he  was 
welcome,  for  he  was  a  favorite  with  the  crew  of  the 
sloop,  and  with  none  to  a  greater  degree  than  to  the 
captain  and  the  old  ranger. 

Asher  Norris  was  the  nephew  of  Jo  Spain,  and  his 
father,  mother,  and  most  intimate  friends  were  in 


20  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAPVAS. 

Detroit.  He  had  left  that  post  some  months  before 
with  his  uncle,  and  made  the  long  journey  to  Niagara 
bearing  an  urgent  request  from  Major  Gladwyn  for 
supplies.  The  result  of  the  trip  was  the  attempt  of 
the  schooner  to  deliver  the  much-needed  stores, 
which,  when  almost  at  the  gate  of  the  post,  were 
placed  in  a  position  of  the  gravest  peril. 


s¥[ 


*^,';.'-'-    'i.-  ',-''i.''"    ''■    ;•■;■!'  I':-"  r  -■.;.''",'\^j 


CHAPTER  III. 

THROUGH    THE    SHADOWS. 

WHAT  a  pity  that  the  breeze  did  not  last 
an  hour  or  two  longer,"  said  young 
Asher  Norris,  with  a  sigh;  "  we  are  only  eight  or 
nine  miles  from  Detroit,  and  a  little  more  wind 
would  have  taken  us  there." 

"  There  's  no  use  in  crying  for  spilt  milk,"  was 
the  philosophic  remark  of  Captain  Horst.  "  Jo  and 
I,  and,  I  suppose,  you,  too,  have  made  up  our 
minds  that  we  're  to  have  the  sharpest  kind  of  a 
fight  to-night." 

"  I  was  sure  of  that  as  soon  as  the  anchor  was 
dropped.  But,"  added  Asher,  touching  the  matter 
that  had  brought  him  to  the  stern  of  the  schooner, 
and  that  wrinkled  the  brow  of  his  handsome  face, 
"  why  can't  we  lower  the  boat  that  Uncle  Jo  just 
used,  and  with  all  of  us  that  can  get  into  it,  tow  the 
vessel  out  of  this  dangerous  spot  ?  " 

The  ranger  shook  his  head. 

" 'T  won't  never  do." 

"I  had  thought  of  the  same  thing,"  remarked 
the  skipper;  "  it  would  be  hard  work,  but  we  might 
get  the  schooner  to  the  fort  by  daylight." 

ax 


22  PONT! AC,    CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

Jo  shook  his  head  more  decisively  than  before. 

"  What  would  be  the  end  ?  Both  shores  is  lined 
with  the  varmints;  they  can  see  like  owls  in  the 
night,  and  when  they  ain't  able  to  see  they  can  hear 
a  leaf  as  it  falls  from  the  tree.  No  matter  how  care- 
fully we  might  handle  the  oars,  they  'd  catch  the 
first  stroke  we  made ;  they  'd  know  what  it  meant  ; 
they  'd  be  out  in  the  stream  by  the  hundred  and 
cut  us  off  from  the  sloop  by  gettin'  themselves 
between;  then  we  'd  be  in  a  purty  scrape,  would  n't 
we  ?  If  we  should  do  just  what  the  varmints  want, 
it  would  be  the  very  thing  aforesaid  which  my 
young  nephew  has  proposed,  meaning  no  harm  but 
good  to  all  consarned. '  * 

The  ranger  looked  meaningly  at  the  youth,  who 
flushed  at  the  good-natured  but  hardly  the  less  cut- 
ting reproof.  There  was  so  much  sense  in  the  words 
of  the  veteran  that  neither  Asher  nor  Captain  Horst 
presumed  to  argue  the  question. 

**  Then  I  suppose,"  added  the  young  man,  after 
a  moment's  silence,  **  that  the  only  thing  we  can  do 
is  to  lie  low  and  wait  for  them  to  attack  us. ' ' 

"  You  hit  it  that  time  square,  but  I  've  been 
thinkin'  that  after  all  there  is  a  little  bit  more  we 
can  do — that  is,  mebbe." 

His  friends  looked  inquiringly  at  him. 

"  From  the  signs  I  obsarved  to-day  the  redsKins 
are  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  but  I  've  an  idee  that 


THROUGH   THE  SHADOWS,  2% 

a  good  deal  the  most  of  *em  are  over  there  on  the 
left  on  the  mainland.  Bime  by  I  '11  swim  ashore 
and  take  a  look  'round.** 

"  It  will  be  very  risky,  and  what  good  will  you 
accomplish  ?  ** 

"  When  you  an*  me  was  fightin*  under  Colonel 
Washington,  Cap,  you  remember  he  allers  tried  to 
find  out  what  the  French  was  goin*  to  do.  When 
he  lamed  that  he  knowed  how  to  get  ready  for  'cm. 
If  I  can  find  out  how  many  of  Pontiac's  varmints 
are  in  the  woods,  and  can  hear  some  of  *em  talkin*, 
why  I  may  pick  up  a  little  vallyble  information." 

Captain  Horst  could  not  look  upon  the  proposal 
as  did  he  who  offered  it.  He  felt  the  need  of  every 
one  to  repel  the  attack  that  was  sure  to  be  made 
within  a  few  hours,  and  the  absence  of  Jo  Spain 
would  be  as  serious  as  that  of  two  or  three  of 
his  best  men.  And  yet  he  was  backward  about 
opposing  this  veteran  of  the  woods.  He  held  his 
peace. 

As  if  reading  his  thoughts,  Jo  said : 

"  I  don't  intend  to  desart  you.  Cap,  and  mean 
to  be  back  here  afore  the  first  gun  is  fired  or  the 
first  yawp  made." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  such  is  your  intention, 
Jo,"  was  the  significant  response. 

"And  I  '11  do  it,  too." 

This  was  uttered  with  an  emphasis  that  lifted  a 


24  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF   THE  OTTAWAS, 

weight  of  apprehension  from  the  shoulders  of 
the  captain,  as  well  as  from  those  of  Asher 
N  orris. 

**  And  yet  if  you  go  to  the  left  bank  you  will 
leave  the  island  unvisited,  and  the  real  danger,  after 
all,  may  be  from  that  side." 

•'  I  '11  visit  both." 

"  Before  you  return  ?  " 

The  ranger  was  silent  a  minute,  as  if  this  phase  of 
the  question  had  not  presented  itself  to  him. 

"  No;  I  '11  go  to  the  left  bank  of  the  stream,  larn 
what  is  to  be  larned,  swim  back  to  the  sloop  and 
then  swim  across  to  t'  other  bank,  lettin'  you  know, 
of  course,  what  I  've  larned  on  my  first  visit. 
P'raps  I  may  run  agin  Red  Feather  once  more." 

Asher  Norris  had  nothing  to  add.  He  was  a 
young  man,  less  given  to  talk  than  his  relative,  but 
had  one  who  knew  his  nature  studied  him  at  this 
moment,  he  would  have  come  to  the  belief  that  the 
words  of  the  ranger  had  turned  his  thoughts  in  a 
new  direction,  and  he  was  forming  some  plan  of  his 
own — one  that  he  did  not  deem  it  best  to  explain 
to  the  others. 

Though  there  was  a  partial  moon  overhead,  the 
sultry  sky  was  so  overspread  with  clouds  that  not  a 
twinkling  star  was  visible.  Occasionally  a  few  faint 
rays  stole  through  the  ragged  edges  of  vapor,  but 
the  light  was  so  weak  that  it  was  hardly  visible,  and 


\ 

\ 


\ 

\  THROUGH   THE  SHADOWS,  2$ 

'\      . 
\ 

served  rather  to  make  the  darkness  more  profound 
and  all-pervading.  ^^        ,   w       ,  / 

While  the  three  were  conversing  in  low  tones,  and 
the  others  were  gathered  here  and  there  about  the 
deck,  speaking  in  whispers,  listening,  and  with  all 
their  senses  on  the  alert,  the  little  schooner  lay  as  if 
becalmed  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  stillness  was  profound.  From  the  direction 
of  Detroit  came  the  faint  report  of  a  gun,  sounding 
many  miles  away.  It  was  probably  fired  by  one  of 
the  sentinels  at  some  redskin  whom  he  discovered 
prowling  around  the  palisades,  and  which  was  suffi- 
cient to  drive  off  the  skulker,  since  the  shot  was  not 
repeated.  Then  was  heard  the  bark  of  a  fox,  and 
the  long-drawn,  dismal  howl  of  a  wolf  echoed  from 
somewhere  down  the  river.  Were  he  and  his  com- 
panions growing  impatient  over  the  delayed  feast, 
and  were  they  slinking  from  the  gloomy  recesses 
and  licking  their  chops  in  anticipation  of  what  was 
coming?   ■^..'■■■"-^m-'  ^v;.  :-'•■>■ -^     .■  .,':_  -:-.,, 

Having  decided  upon  his  course  of  action,  Jo 
Spain  did  not  wait  a  minute  beyond  the  time  he 
thought  necessary.  He  was  attired  in  the  usual 
hunting  shirt  and  leggings  worn  by  the  men  who 
spent  most  of  their  lives  in  the  woods  a  hundred 
years  ago.  History  has  related  many  of  the  exploits 
of  Major  Rogers  and  his  famous  rangers,  and  among 
them  all  was  none  braver  and  more  skilled  in  wood- 


26  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

craft  than  this  man,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire, 
who  served  with  the  daring  leader  down  to  the  day 
when  the  surrender  of  Detroit  took  place. 

Jo  fastened  his  long  flint-lock  rifle  to  his  shoul- 
der, muzzle  downward,  so  that  the  stock  protruded 
above  his  shoulders  and  the  crown  of  his  head. 
Thus,  if  he  had  only  plain  swimming  to  do  and  was 
n<$>f  compelled  to  sink  below  the  surface,  he  would 
be  able  to  save  the  charge  of  his  gun  from  becoming 
wet.  If,  however,  he  should  be  forced  to  dive,  the 
chf  rge  would  have  to  be  withdrawn  and  a  new  one 
rammed  home. 

"  Wal,  I  'm  off,"  he  quietly  observed,  when  the 
weapon  was  tied  in  place. 

"  Good  luck  to  you  !  "  said  the  captain  in  a  low 
voice. 

The  ranger  climbed  over  the  gunwale  at  the  stern, 
where  it  was  not  far  above  the  water,  and  making 
use  of  the  rudder,  upon  which  he  rested  his  large, 
mocassin-covered  foot,  silently  let  himself  down  into 
the  Detroit  river.  The  current  was  not  strong,  and 
in  the  sultry  hush  of  the  summer  night  the  cool  em- 
brace of  the  water  was  refreshing  and  grateful. 

Captain  Horst  and  Asher  Norris  had  stepped  to 
the  stern  and  were  peering  down  at  the  veteran. 
In  the  gloom  they  could  see  his  sinewy  figure,  as  he 
set  himself  free  from  the  schooner,  with  no  more 
noise  than  that  m.ade  by  the  gentle  rippling  at  the 


THROUGH  THE  SHADOWS, 


27 


prow  of  the  craft.  They  saw,  too,  the  head  covered 
with  the  coon-skin  cap,  but  only  for  a  moment, 
when  it  vanished  and  all  was  as  it  had  been  before. 

"  Confound  it  !  "  muttered  the  captain,  "  I  *m 
sorry  he  has  left;  I  don't  believe  it  will  do  any 
good,  and  he  's  running  into  the  worst  sort  if 
danger." 

"  But  he  has  done  the  same  thing  many  tini  s 
before." 

**  And  is  just  the  man  to  do  it  once  too  often. 
He  has  had  such  good  luck  in  the  past  that  he 
thinks  it  *11  stick  by  him  to  the  end,  when  puff!  one 
of  these  days  he  '11  be  wiped  out  by  some  Indian 
boy  of  no  more  than  half  your  years." 

**  I  don't  think  so,"  was  the  quiet  reply  of  Asher 
Norris;  "  at  first  his  proposition  did  not  strike  me 
favorably,  but  I  now  believe  he  did  a  wise  thing." 

"  Well,  we  shall  speedily  know,  for  business  will 
be  humming  pretty  soon. " 

Meanwhile,  Jo  Spain  was  making  the  best  of  his 
opportunity.  He  was  swimming  slowly,  silently, 
and  with  the  utmost  care.  His  eyes  being  so  near 
the  surface  of  the  water,  he  was  at  considerable 
advantage  in  that  respect.  His  naturally  sharp 
vision  allowed  nothing  to  escape  him  which  it  would 
have  been  possible  for  any  one  to  see. 

He  was  unquestionably  right  when  he  declared 
that  the  Indians  lurking  on  the  shore  of  the  river 


Hfi         PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

would  wait  until  there  was  reason  to  believe  the 
crew  of  the  sloop  were  partly,  if  not  wholly,  dis- 
armed of  suspicion.  A  surprise  is  the  favorite 
method  of  attack  with  the  redmen. 

Having  shaken  himself  clear  of  the  schooner,  Jo 
swam  toward  Detroit,  still  holding  his  place  near 
the  middle  of  the  stream.  If  the  hostiles  were  look- 
ing for  some  such  reconnoissance,  they  would  expect 
the  man  making  it  to  approach  the  shore  on  either 
side  when  seeking  to  land.  Therefore,  the  ranger 
did  not  draw  near  the  left  bank  until  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  from  the  schooner. 

Even  at  that  point,  the  Indians  might  be  on  the 
watch,  and  no  approach  could  have  been  more 
guarded.  Jo  swam  low  in  the  water,  aware  that  in 
spite  of  it  the  projecting  rifle  stock  would  tell  the 
fatal  story,  if  he  happened  to  draw  near  to  some 
dusky  sentinel.  Accordingly,  he  held  himself  ready 
to  drop  below  the  surface  on  the  first  appearance  of 
anything  suspicious. 

The  bank  was  lined  with  trees  and  a  species  of 
undergrowth  which  dipped  over  the  current  and 
offered  the  best  possible  hiding-place  for  an  enemy. 

Neither  eye  nor  ear  could  detect  anything  amiss, 
and  the  white  man  had  already  increased  his  rate  of 
progress,  having  fixed  in  his  mind  the  point  where 
he  would  emerge,  when  he  caught  the  ripple  as  if 
made  by  some  person  stepping  stealthily  into  the 


THROUGH   THE  SHADOWS,  29 

stream.  On  the  instant  and  without  the  slightest 
noise,  Jo  sank  out  of  sight,  just  as  if  some  monster 
of  the  deep  had  seized  his  foot  and  drawn  him 
under. 

The  water  was  not  deep  so  near  shore,  so  that 
while  he  was  still  descending  his  moccasins  touched 
the  soft  bottom.  He  held  the  points  of  the  com- 
pass in  mind,  and,  without  coming  up  to  the  air, 
swam  swiftly  inward.  He  had  planned  where  he 
would  emerge,  and  hit  it  to  a  hair. 

Instead  of  rising  from  the  surface  some  feet  from 
shore,  he  did  so  close  to  the  bank,  and  directly 
under  the  overhanging  vegetation,  thus  shutting 
himself  from  the  sight  of  any  suspicious  eye  that 
might  be  peering  out  upon  the  stream.  The  danger 
was  that  the  slight  but  unavoidable  rustling  thus 
created  would  be  heard  by  an  enemy;  but,  since 
there  was  peril  everywhere,  no  matter  what  he  did, 
the  ranger  did  not  hesitate. 

Resting  a  minute  with  his  head  and  shoulders 
above  the  current,  he  listened,  but  heard  nothing  to 
cause  alarm.  His  vision  could  be  of  no  help  in  his 
situation,  and  he  did  not  count  upon  it.  A  second 
or  two  later,  he  had  entirely  emerged  from  the 
river,  and  was  seated  in  his  dripping  garments  on 
the  bank,  still  listening  and  as  vigilant  as  ever. 

"  It  could  n't  have  been  one  of  the  varmints,  after 
all,"  he  muttered,  alluding  to  the  rippling  which 


j0  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF   THE   OTTAWAS. 

sent  him  toward  the  bottom;  "I  might  as  well 
have  stayed  whar  I  was,  and  come  out  of  the  river 
without  ruinin*  the  powder  in  old  Bess,  but,  as  the 
captain  obsarved,  thar  's  no  use  of  cryin'  fur  spilt 
milk.  The  varmints  must  be  somewhar  not  very 
fur  off,  and  I  don't  go  back  to  the  vessel  till  I  larn 
something  as  is  worth  larnin',  fur  I  feel  it  in  my 
bones  that  ugly  times  are  powerful  clus.** 

It  was  the  rule  with  men  of  his  profession  not  to 
stir  from  a  spot  after  firing  a  gun,  until  it  was 
reloaded,  so  as  to  have  it  ready  for  instant  use,  but 
Jo  Spain  decided  to  break  that  wholesome  rule  in 
the  present  instance. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE    LEFT   SHORE. 


JO  SPAIN  refrained  from  drawing  the  charge 
from  his  rifle  and  ramming  home  a  new  one, 
through  fear  of  betraying  his  presence  to  some 
of  his  enemies,  who,  he  was  satisfied,  were  in  his 
immediate  neighborhood.  It  was  no  easy  task  to 
un!oad  and  load  one  of  the  old-fashioned  flint-lock 
weapons  in  profound  darkness,  though  he  had  done 
it,  and  the  necessity  was  not  urrrent. 

The  course  of  the  ranger  was  now  down  stream, 
toward  the  schooner,  as  he  supposed  the  main  body 
of  hostiles  would  be  found  in  that  direction.  That 
he  had  placed  himself  in  an  exceedingly  "  ticklish  " 
position  was  manifest  the  next  moment,  when  he 
caught  a  faint,  bird-like  whistle,  a  short  distance 
ahead  and  to  one  side,  which  he  knew  was  made  by 
a  warrior  stealing  through  the  forest;  but  if  this 
discovery  was  startling,  that  which  immediately 
followed  was  more  so.  The  reply,  almost  instantly 
made,  was  of  the  same  character,  and  came  from  a 
point  so  directly  close  and  behind  him  that  he  fairly 
caught  his  breath,  believing  he  had  been  discovered. 

3» 


IHMBilliliiiillMriilttUru 


AbbX-a^^i^riiaBiaai 


Jl  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

But  such  was  not  the  fact.  In  the  deep  vegeta- 
tion of  the  woods  and  with  the  new  moon  veiled  by 
dense  clouds,  the  darkness  was  absolutely  impene- 
trable. He  could  see  no  one  and  no  one  could  see 
him.  He  was  in  a  crouching  posture,  feeling  each 
inch  of  the  way.  His  hand  had  touched  the  shaggy 
bark  of  a  tree  and  he  now  straightened  up,  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  trunk,  where  he  was  less  likely  to  be 
bumped  against  by  a  dusky  scout  than  if  standing 
alone. 

That  matters  were  becoming  extraordinarily  crit- 
ical was  proved  the  next  instant,  when,  with  his 
sense  of  hearing  trained  to  an  incredibly  fine  point, 
he  distinctly  heard  his  enemy  on  the  other  side  of 
the  tree.  Not  only  that,  but  his  hand  touched  the 
rough  covering,  and  he,  too,  straightened  up.  Thus 
the  white  and  red  man  stood,  with  only  the  thick- 
ness of  a  tree  trunk  separating  them.  One  was 
aware  of  the  presence  of  the  other,  and  the  white 
man  began  to  doubt  as  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
other  regarding  himself. 

He  laid  his  hand  on  his  knife,  which  was  not 
fastened  at  his  waist  or  hip,  but  over  the  left  breast, 
where  it  could  be  seized  more  handily  than  from 
any  other  place.  If  the  warrior  groped  around  the 
tree,  he  must  of  necessity  come  in  collision  with  the 
other,  though  Jo  lessened  the  chance  by  taking  a 
single  step  backward.     The  advantage  was  with  the 


•  THE  LEFT  SHORE,  33 

ranger,  for  he  would  know  precisely  where  to  strike 
the  instant  the  other  touched  him,  while  it  began  to 
look  as  if  the  red  man  did  not  suspect  the  presence 
of  the  other,  for,  with  such  knowledge,  he  would 
not  have  dared  to  reply  so  promptly  to  the  call  of 
his  comrade.  This  was  shown  at  the  end  of  another 
minute,  when,  instead  of  waiting  for  a  second  signal, 
he  himself  repeated  it,  and  was  answered  from  a 
point  a  few  rods  away. 

The  situation  of  Jo  Spain  was  not  made  any  more 
comfortable  by  the  discovery  that  the  Indian,  almost 
within  arm's  reach,  instead  of  going  to  his  compan- 
ion, was  waiting  for  the  latter  to  come  to  him. 
Inasmuch  as  this  would  have  made  the  situation 
altogether  too  perilous,  Jo  took  two  more  backward 
steps.  He  did  so  with  amazing  skill,  and  yet  with 
the  almost  inaudible  rustling  of  a  twig  caught  the 
attention  of  the  keen-eared  warrior  in  his  front. 

But  there  might  have  been  any  one  of  half  a 
dozen  causes  to  explain  the  slight  noise,  without 
the  right  one  being  suspected,  and  the  warrior 
seemed  to  give  it  no  further  thought.  Almost  im- 
mediately he  was  joined  by  the  other,  and  the 
two  began  conversing  in  their  gruff,  guttural 
fashion. 

Jo  Spain  was  delighted  to  discover  that,  instead 
of  using  Iroquois,  they  spoke  in  the  Ottawa  tongue. 
He  was  almost  as  familiar  with  that  as  with  his  own. 


34  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

Naturally  their  voices  were  low,  but  they  were  so 
near  that  in  the  utter  silence  not  a  syllable  escaped 
the  eavesdropper.  The  very  opportunity  he  was 
seeking  had  come  to  him.  He  expected  to  grope 
for  perhaps  an  hour  through  the  wood  with  slight 
chance  of  success,  but  he  had  hardly  touched  foot 
upon  land  when  success  met  him. 

A  liberal  translation  of  the  conversation  might  be 
as  follows  : 

**  My  brother  comes  from  the  other  shore  of  the 
river ;  where  is  the  mighty  Pontiac  ?  Is  he  with  his 
warriors  ? ' ' 

"  He  is  with  his  warriors,  and  there  are  many 
brave  Ojibwas  with  him. " 

"  He  has  seen  the  canoe  of  the  white  man,  the 
great  canoe  which  floats  through  the  water  when 
the  wind  blows." 

"  Pontiac  has  seen  the  big  canoe;  he  has  watched 
It  as  it  came  up  the  river ;  he  knew  the  Great  Spirit 
would  give  it  into  his  hand,  as  he  will  all  the  white 
people  when  our  father  wakes  from  his  sleep  on  the 
other  side  of  the  great  water  and  drives  the  English 
from  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  redmen." 

"  There  are  many  warriors  on  this  side  of  the 
river,  and  they  will  go  with  Pontiac  when  his  canoes 
come  out  from  the  shore  to  slay  the  big  canoe  of  the 
white  men." 

**  But  the  warriors  on  this  side  are  not  so  many  as 


THE  LEFT  SHORE,  |5 

on  the  island.  When  the  moon  is  off  there  then  we 
will  slay  the  big  canoe  of  the  white  men. " 

Even  so  experienced  a  ranger  as  Jo  Spain  was 
puzzled  to  understand  the  full  meaning  of  this  last 
remark.  The  night  was  impenetrable,  and  how  one 
of  the  warriors  could  make  clear  to  the  other  the 
future  location  of  the  orb  during  that  night  was  im- 
possible to  explain,  unless  he  took  hold  of  his  com- 
panion's hand  and  indicated  it  by  the  sense  of  feeling. 

As  it  \yas  the  ranger  could  gain  no  idea  of  the 
hour  fixed  for  the  attack  upon  the  sloop,  and  the 
knowledge  of  such  date  was  not  important.  It  was 
liable  to  change  by  Pontiac,  who  often  showed  a 
whimsicality  of  motive.  It  was  enough  to  know 
that  the  fierce  assault  was  certain  to  be  made  by 
parties  of  Indians  coming  from  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  moving  as  nearly  as  possible  at  the  same 
moment.  It  remained  for  Captain  Horst  and  his 
crew  to  be  on  the  alert  until  the  danger  should  come 
and  go.  It  was  noticeable,  too,  that  these  Ottawas 
made  no  reference  to  the  Iroquois  that  had  been 
landed  on  their  side  of  the  river. 

"  Will  the  white  men  know  of  our  coming  ?  "  was 
the  query  of  the  Ottawa  who  had  last  reached  the 
tree. 

"  No,"  replied  his  companion;  "  their  eyes  have 
been  closed.  They  know  not  that  the  woods  are 
full  of  brave  Ottawas  and  Ojibwas;   they  will  lie 


36  PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

down  to  sleep,  with  only  one  left  to  keep  his  eyes 
open,  and  he,  too,  will  fall  into  slumber." 

**  And  just  there,"  reflected  the  listening  white 
man,  "  is  where  you  are  making  a  mistake,  my 
copper-colored  friend. ' ' 

The  scout  would  have  chuckled  over  the  fact  but 
for  the  terrible  dread  that,  even  if  alert,  the  defend- 
ers of  the  sloop  were  too  few  to  repel  the  over- 
whelming assault  of  the  Ottawas  and  Ojibwas.  The 
reflection  caused  an  intense,  almost  irrestrainable 
hatred  to  flame  up  in  his  heart.  It  was  intolerable 
to  hear  these  two  miscreants  exulting  over  the  pros- 
pect of  massacring  every  person  on  board  the  be- 
calmed vessel,  a  short  distance  away.  Jo's  rifle  was 
still  fastened  behind  his  shoulders,  so  as  to  leave 
free  play  for  his  arms,  and  his  iron-like  fingers  closed 
around  the  handle  of  his  knife,  as  he  bent  forward 
to  catch  a  few  more  words. 

* '  The  white  men  may  have  seen  Pontiac  and  his 
warriors,"  ventured  the  one  that  had  evidently 
spent  most  of  his  time  on  this  side  of  the  stream. 

**  They  have  seen  none  of  them,"  was  the  reassur- 
ing response  of  the  other,  "  for  did  not  Pontiac 
declare  he  would  slay  all  who  showed  themselves  to 
the  white  men  ?  *  * 

"  I  wish  he  'd  do  it,"  grimly  reflected  the  eaves- 
dropper, "for  I  seed  nigh  onto  twenty,  and  there 
would  be  that  many  less  to  fight." 


THE  LEFT  SHORE,  , 

'   Then  we  shall  wait  till  the  signal  comes  from 

Pontiac." 

The  Ottawas  abruptly  ceased  talking,  and  several 
minutes  of  silence  followed,  while  Jo  Spain  listened 
for  further  information.  • 

Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  there  was  nothing 
more  to  learn.  He  had  found  out  of  a  verity  that  a 
large  force  intended  to  attack  the  schooner  in  over- 
whelming numbers,  at  an  hour  that  night,  when 
they  believed  the  defenders  would  be  off  their  guard. 
The  warriors  would  come  from  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  it  was  not  impossible  from  up  and  down 
stream,  with  a  view  of  making  the  assault  resist- 
less. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  call  for  staying  longer, 
especially  as  the  scout  meant  to  reconnoitre  the 
other  shore  before  taking  his  place  on  the  sloop  to 
await  the  crisis ;  but  his  anger  against  these  two  red- 
men  rose  to  a  white  heat. 

"  It  's  my  Christian  dooty  to  make  their  numbers 
as  few  as  I  can,"  he  thought,  as  he  drew  his  formi- 
dable knife  from  its  sheath,  "  and,  by  heavens,  I  '11 
do  it  !  " 

He  was  not  the  one  to  hesitate  when  forming  such 
a  resolution.  The  sound  of  the  voices  had  located 
the  two  Ottawas,  and  he  felt  sure  of  striking  them, 
as  sure,  indeed,  as  if  the  sun  were  shining. 

The  powerful  right   arm  was   drawn   back,    he 


38  PONTIAC,    CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

crouched  low,  and  making  a  quick,  light  leap, 
brought  down  his  hand  with  all  the  vicious  fierce- 
ness at  his  command.  It  would  have  been  a  relief 
had  he  dared  to  emit  a  triumphant  yell  at  that 
instant,  but  discretion  restrained. 

The  terrible  weapon,  however,  swished  through 
vacancy ;  the  Ottawas  had  departed.  He  was  not 
the  only  one  that  could  move  in  absolute  silence 
through  the  woods  at  night. 

'*  That  's  the  time  Jo  Spain  made  a  fool  of  him- 
self !  "  he  muttered;  "  I  *m  glad  no  one  seed  me, 
and  I  '11  hev  to  be  powerful  short  of  things  to  talk 
about  with  my  friends  for  me  to  introdooce  the 
same  as  a  subject  for  remarks." 

He  decided  not  to  enter  the  river  where  he  had 
left  it,  but  considerably  farther  down  stream.  This 
would  bring  him  nearly  opposite  the  schooner, 
though  it  was  impossible  for  him  exactly  to  locate 
it,  since  it  was  invisible  and  not  so  much  as  a  point 
of  light  was  shown  on  the  vessel. 

Jo  did  not  need  the  knowledge  that  the  woods 
were  full  of  redmen  to  make  him  guarded  in  every 
movement.  He  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
river,  but  it  was  a  long  time  before  his  wet  mocca- 
sins again  touched  its  brink.  He  noticed  that  the 
undergrowth  was  less  abundant,  and,  in  spite  of  his 
care,  he  came  within  a  hair  of  stepping  into  a  large 
canoe  drawn  up  against  the  bank.     Had  there  been 


THE  LEFT  SHORE.  39 

any  one  in  it,  he  must  assuredly  have  detected  the 
approach  of  a  stranger. 

The  ranger  groped  about  to  learn  whether  there 
were  any  others  near,  but  in  the  limited  space  exam- 
ined he  found  none. 

"  There  's  one  thing  mighty  sartin,"  he  thought, 
"  when  these  varmints  come  to  get  into  their 
blamed  canoes,  they  '11  find  one  of  'em  is  n't  of 
much  account." 

With  the  aid  of  his  knife  he  cut  several  gaping 
seams  in  the  frail  structure.  The  gurgling  water 
told  that  the  craft  was  likely  to  disappoint  the 
parties  who  intended  to  make  their  voyage  to 
the  schooner  in  it.  Even  in  committing  this  act  of 
mischief,  Jo  paused  long  enough  to  consider  its  pru- 
dence. But,  so  far  as  he  saw,  there  was  no  way  in 
which  it  could  recoil  upon  him.  The  Indians  were 
not  likely  to  suspect  that  it  had  been  done  by  a 
white  man,  and  even  if  they  did,  it  would  lessen 
their  confidence  in  their  own  ability  to  destroy  their 
intended  victims.  Had  there  been  any  other  canoes 
within  easy  reach,  he  would  have  slitted  them  in 
the  same  ruthless  style. 

With  the  utmost  caution  he  made  his  way  into 
the  river  until  the  water  reached  his  shoulders, 
when  he  sank  lower,  and  began  swimming  in  the 
direction,  as  he  believed,  of  the  schooner;  but  so 
long  as  the  outlines  of  the  shore  could  be  discerned 


40  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

in  the  gloom,  he  gave  more  attention  to  the  rear 
than  to  the  front.  There  was  no  evidence  that  his 
presence  had  been  detected  by  his  enemies,  and  he 
soon  swam  with  more  freedom  and  with  his  eyes  to 
the  front. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  when  confident 
he  was  close  to  his  friends,  he  failed  to  see  anything 
of  the  craft,  with  its  familiar  single  masts  and  short 
dark  hull.  With  all  his  woodcraft  and  a  certain 
remarkable  skill  in  keeping  his  bearings  in  the 
absence  of  landmarks,  he  had  lost  the  boat. 

"  But  it  can't  be  far  off,"  he  thought,  after  mak- 
ing sure  that  he  had  swam  far  enough  out  in  the 
stream;  "it  *s  either  farther  up  or  farther  down, 
and  I  must  find  it  after  awhile." 

Fifteen  minutes  later,  he  checked  himself,  and 
supplemented  his  conclusion  by  the  proviso,  "  I 
don't  know  whether  I  will  or  not;  either  the  con- 
founded vessel  or  me  is  lost,  and  I  don't  know  which 
It  is. 

Facing  about,  he  swam  vigorously  in  the  opposite 
course,  feeling  that  he  was  losing  valuable  time,  for 
it  remained  his  intention  to  make  a  visit  to  Fighting 
Island  before  the  attack  from  the  Indians,  which 
might  take  place  earlier  than  he  had  first  supposed. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   RIGHT   SHORE. 

/CAPTAIN  HORST  waited  for  several  minutes 
V^  at  the  stern  of  his  schooner  after  the  ranger 
had  swam  away  and  vanished  in  the  night.  Then 
he  walked  forward  and  talked  in  low  tones  with  his 
men.  He  found  them  determined  and  fully  alive  to 
the  perils  that  impended. 

"  Surrender,  boys,  you  know,  is  not  to  be  thought 
of,  for  no  mercy  is  to  be  expected  from  Pontiac  or 
any  of  his  warriors. ' ' 

"  Nor  from  any  redman,"  growled  a  stalwart 
boatman  from  New  York;  "  did  n't  I  fall  into  their 
hands  three  years  ago,  near  Niagara  ?  And  did  n't 
they  tie  me  to  a  tree  and  start  the  fire  about  me, 
when  a  French  officer  dashed  the  wood  aside  and 
gave  me  a  chance  to  run  for  my  life  ?  I  think  I 
know  the  breed. " 

"  That  's  precisely  the  way  they  served  Israel 
Putnam  when  he  was  out  with  Rogers'  rangers,  and 
he  was  saved  in  the  same  way." 

"  You  don't  need  to  tell  us  not  to  think  of  sur- 
render, Cap,"  said  Mate  Jacobs;  "  all  the  same,  it 

4x 


-  •'  /■/■ 

42  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

looks  to  me  as  if  they  '11  be  too  many  for  us. 
What  *s  to  be  done  when  that  minute  comes  ?  " 

"  You  *ve  got  the  magazine  ready  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  When  I  sing  out  to  you,  *  Blow  her  up  ! '  why, 
touch  her  off.  * ' 

**  I  '11  do  it  as  sure  as  my  name  is  Jack  Carson," 
was  the  response.      , 

**  Very  well;  we  understand  each  other,"  and  the 
captain  walked  back  to  the  stern,  where  Asher  Nor- 
ris  was  standing  near  the  cabin. 

"  What  's  the  meaning  of  that  ?  " 

The  question  of  Captain  Horst  was  asked  as  he 
stepped  close  to  his  young  friend  and  noticed  that 
he  had  fastened  his  rifle  to  his  back,  precisely  as  Jo 
Spain  did  before  leaving  the  vessel. 

"  I  'm  going  ashore,"  was  the  quiet  response. 

"  You  forget  that  Jo  has  already  done  that." 

**  No;  he  has  taken  the  left  shore;  I  'm  going  to 
Fighting  Island."  .     ' 

"  But  I  do  not  commend  the  plan,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, gravely;  "  that  will  leave  only  ten,  and  we 
need  double  the  number. " 

"  He  expects  to  be  back  before  an  attack  is  made, 
and  I  am  just  as  confident  as  he  that  I  shall  be  with 
you." 

"His  intention  is  to  find  out  how  matters  stand 
on  one  shore,  to  report,  and  then  to  do  the  same  on 


THE  RIGHT  SHORE,  43 

the  island.  He  can  do  ii  more  effectually  than  you,, 
for  he  has  ten  times  the  experience." 

"  It  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  to  dispute 
with  you,  Captain,  but  Jo  may  be  kept  so  long  on 
one  side  of  the  river  that  he  will  not  have  time  to 
examine  the  other.  While  he  is  busy  on  his  ground, 
I  will  be  at  work  on  mine. " 

Despite  the  plausible  argument  of  the  young  man, 
the  captain  was  far  from  being  convinced.  Had 
Asher  Norris  been  a  member  of  his  crew  he  would 
not  have  permitted  the  venture.  But  Asher  and 
his  uncle  were  really  only  a  couple  of  passengers, 
who  had  come  on  the  schooner  at  Niagara.  He 
was  glad  to  have  their  company,  for  they  were  valu- 
able men,  but  from  the  first  they  had  done  as  they 
chose,  without  looking  to  him  for  orders. 

The  only  one  who  was  in  a  position  to  command 
the  youth  was  absent.  Had  he  been  present  it  is 
safe  to  say  the  risk  never  would  have  been  taken  by 
the  nephew.     As  it  was,  no  one  could  say  him  nay. 

"  Well,  act  as  you  please,  Asher,  but  in  my  judg- 
ment you  are  doing  a  thing  not  only  unnecessary, 
but  dangerous." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  replied  the  youth,  im- 
pressed by  the  gravity  of  his  senior,  ' '  but  we  will 
leave  that  to  the  future." 

And  then,  bidding  the  captain  good-night,  he 
imitated  the  action  of  his  relative,  climbing  over  the 


44  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

bow,  stepping  on  the  rudder,  and  letting  himself 
softly  down  into  the  water.  A  minute  later  he,  too, 
disaj^ieared  in  the  darkness,  and  the  captain  looked 
off  in  the  gloom,  much  oppressed  by  what  had  taken 
place. 

"  That  leaves  ten  of  us,"  he  remarked  to  Mate 

Jacobs,  who,  overhearing  the  conversation,  had 
joined  him;  "  as  likely  as  not,  we  shall  never  see 
either  of  them  again. " 

"  It  's  all  tomfoolery,"  said  the  mate,  more  im- 
patient than  the  mast^j';  '  we  've  made  up  our 
mind  that  we  're  bound  to  have  a  visit  from  the 
Indians,  and  that  's  all  we  need  to  know.  It  is  n't 
likely  that  Pontiac  or  any  of  his  imps  will  be  kind 
enough  to  tell  Jo  or  his  nephew  the  exact  minute 
when  we  're  to  expect  them.  I  know  that  Jo  had 
some  good  reason  to  leave,  and  he  wants  to  help  us, 
but  I  *ve  a  suspicion  of  that  cub." 

"  And  what  is  it  ? " 

"  That  he  means  to  sneak  through  the  woods  to 
Det.oit;  so  long  as  he  can  save  his  own  hide,  why 
need  he  care  for  us  ?  " 

But  the  captain  would  not  accept  that  view. 

"  I  am  sure  it  is  nothing  of  that  sort.  Asher  is 
one  of  the  bravest  young  men  I  ever  met.  When 
we  ran  into  shore  to  get  some  firewood,  along  the 
lake,  some  days  ago,  have  you  forgotten  how  he 
helped  cover  the  retreat  of  you  and  Jameson  ?  " 


THE  RIGHT  SHORE.  45 

"  I  *11  give  him  credit  for  that;  he  's  full  of  pluck, 
but  some  men  show  the  same  thing,  when  danger 
comes  upon  them  sudden  like.  He  may  have  been 
thinking  the  thing  over,  and  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  best  thing  he  could  do  is  to  light  out." 

"  If  you  live  long  enough  to  get  out  of  this  scrape, 
you  '11  admit  you  did  the  young  man  an  injustice." 

"  I  hope  so,  but  since  he  has  gone,  why  can't  we 
all  do  the  same  ?  " 

The  question  surprised  the  captain. 

"  You  mean  for  each  of  us  to  steal  away  from  the 
fort,  swim  as  far  up  the  stream  as  we  can  and  thus 
circumvent  Pontiac  ? " 

"  That  's  it ;  what  's  to  hinder  ?  ** 

The  captian  was  inclined  at  first  to  think  well  of 
the  plan,  strangely  as  it  struck  him.  A  brief 
thought,  however,  settled  the  matter. 

"  I  '11  never  desert  the  schooner  as  long  as  I  'm 
able  to  defend  her.  We  must  stand  by  her  to  the 
last.  We  set  out  to  furnish  Major  Gladwyn  with 
powder,  and  we  *ve  enough  on  board  to  serve  him 
several  months.  Now,  to  hand  over  that  powder 
to  Pontiac  will  be  like  joining  him  to  help  take 
Detroit." 

"  That  *s  a  view  I  did  n't  think  of,  and  there  's 
truth  in  it,  but  we  could  pitch  the  powder  into  the 
nver. 

"  It  *s  not  to  be  thought  of,**  remarked  the  cap- 


0  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

tain,  in  a  quiet  but  so  determined  a  voice  that  no 
more  persuasion  was  attempted.  All  gave  their 
attention  to  watching,  listening,  and  waiting  for  the 
trial  that  must  soon  come. 

Meanwhile,  Asher  Norris,  young,  active,  and  lusty, 
swam  with  silent  and  powerful  strokes  toward  the 
shore  of  the  island,  in  isible  in  the  gloom,  but  whose 
direction  was  easily  kept  in  mind,  by  the  flow  of  the 
current.  When  the  dim  outlines  of  the  wooded 
bank  took  form  in  the  gloom,  he  slackened  his  speed 
and  allowed  himself  to  drift  fartner  down  stream 
before  making  a  landing.  Finally,  when,  so  far  as 
he  could  judge,  the  way  was  clear,  he  propelled 
himself  forward  with  several  swift  strokes  until  his 
feet  touched  bottom,  and  then  stepped  out  among 
the  limbs  and  undergrowth,  and  crouched  in  the 
darkness. 

There  was  little  difference  between  the  two  shores, 
so  far  as  appearances  went,  both  being  thickly 
wooded.  He  could  hear  nothing,  but,  hoping  to 
make  some  valuable  discovery,  he  threaded  his  way 
among  the  trees,  taking  a  course  at  right  angles  to 
the  stream  until  he  had  penetrated  a  distance  of 
fully  a  hundred  yards.  Then,  as  he  was  beginning 
to  ask  himself  whether  the  whole  attack  would  not 
be  made  from  the  other  side  of  the  river,  he  was 
startled  by  the  twinkle  of  a  light  in  front  and  a  little 
to  the  left. 


THE  RIGHT  SHORE,  47 

*'  That  means  Indianr  /'  was  his  conclusion,  stop- 
ping short  and  peering  intently ;  * '  they  were  wise 
enough  to  start  their  fire  so  far  back  that  no  one 
can  possibly  see  it  from  the  river." 

In  truth,  it  was  so  far  from  where  he  had  halted, 
that  he  caught  only  the  star-like  flicker  among  the 
vegetation.  He  could  not  go  back  without  investi- 
gating further.  It  was  not  impossible  that  he  would 
pick  up  information  of  more  moment  than  that 
which  had  fallen  to  Jo  Spain. 

Step  by  step,  often  pausing,  looking  around  in 
the  darkness,  and  intently  listening,  he  advanced 
until  barely  fifty  feet  separated  him  from  the  fire, 
which  was  burning  in  a  natural  hollow  in  the  wood. 
Before  that  fact  was  noted,  the  young  man  had 
found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  a  remarkable  scene. 

Around  the  camp-fire  were  gathered  fully  thirty 
Ottawa  warriors.  Some  were  seated  on  the  ground, 
while  a  fallen  tree  bore  the  weight  of  one-third  the 
number.  There  were  no  signs  of  food  having  been 
prepared,  and,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the 
Indians  were  smoking  their  long-stemmed  pipes.  In 
the  middle  of  the  group  stood  a  notable  looking  red- 
man,  addressing  those  around  him.  He  had  flung 
aside  his  blanket,  for  the  night,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, was  sultry,  and  the  upper  part  of  his  body 
was  bare,  but  painted,  like  his  face,  with  varying 
colors. 


4$  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

There  was  no  excitement  in  his  manner,  such  as  is 
shown  by  a  dusky  orator  when  trying  to  rouse  his 
warriors  to  the  fighting  point.  These  savages  were 
already  keyed  to  that  pitch,  and  required  no  urging 
to  hold  them  there.  He  appeared  to  be  giving 
directions,  so  as  to  prevent  any  mistake  in  the  pro- 
ject in  hand. 

It  did  not  require  a  second  glance  by  Asher  Nor- 
ris  to  identify  the  leader.  He  had  seen  and  spoken 
with  him  many  a  time,  when  all  was  peaceful  around 
Detroit,  and  Major  Gladwyn  refused  to  believe  the 
warnings  that  repeatedly  came  to  him  from  different 
sources. 

"  That  *s  Pontiac;  he  looks  just  as  he  did  when 
he  came  to  Detroit  last  winter,  and  told  the  major 
that  bad  people  were  speaking  lies  in  his  ears,  and 
that  he  would  always  be  the  brother  of  the  white 
men.  And  all  that  time,  and  for  a  long  while 
before,  he  was  planning  to  destroy  every  post  in  the 
West." 

In  the  stillness  of  the  night,  so  profound  that  not 
even  the  soft  murmur  of  the  river  reached  him,  the 
listener  could  hear  every  word  said  by  the  chieftain, 
but  since  it  was  in  the  Ottawa  tongue,  he  was  un- 
able to  comprehend  a  sentence.  Norris  had  never 
taken  the  trouble  to  acquire  the  Indian  lingo,  while 
Jo  Spain,  the  ranger,  not  only  possessed,  as  we  have 
stated,  a  peculiar  aptitude  in  that  direction,   but. 


O 
< 


Q 
ir, 

< 

< 

H 

o 

04 


THE  RIGHT  SHORE.  49 

like  every  man  serving  under  Major  Rogers,  he  took 
pains  to  learn  all  that  he  possibly  could  of  the  lan- 
guage of  his  enemies.  That  knowledge  had  stood 
him  too  well  many  a  time  for  him  to  neglect  any 
opportunity.  Thus  it  came  about,  '  as  already 
shown,  that  he  could  talk  Ottawa  like  a  native,  and 
could  make  himself  understood  in  fully  half  a  dozen 
aboriginal  languages. 

The  decision  of  Norris  was  that  Pontiac  was 
instructing  his  followers  in  the  special  means  to  be 
used  in  attacking  the  schooner.  Some  of  his  gest- 
ures confirmed  this  suspicion,  for  he  pointed  several 
times  in  the  direction  of  the  vessel.  His  warriors 
nodded  their  heads  in  approval,  some  grunted,  and 
the  majority  puffed  deliberately  at  their  pipes. 

The  belief  was  natural  that  all  the  Ottawas  that 
were  to  take  part  in  the  attack  were  gathered  in  this 
camp,  listening  to  their  leader.  It  would  hardly  be 
supposed  that  those  present  were  in  more  need  of 
instruction  than  others ;  but  this  supposition  of  the 
youth,  unfortunately,  was  wide  of  the  truth. 

"  There  are  about  thirty  of  them;  some  are  in 
one  another's  way,  so  I  can't  make  sure.  Jo  says 
there  are  others  across  the  river,  so  that  we  shall  be 
attacked  by  more  than  half  a  hundred  redskins— 
that  's  certain.  They  have  rifles  and  knives,  and 
when  Pontiac  leads  them  they  will  fight  like  so  many 
furies.     I  don't  see  that  there  's  anything  more  for 


50  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

me  to  learn  by  staying  here,  so  I  '11  go  back  and  tell 
the  captain  how  things  look  on  Fighting  Island." 

It  was  not  likely  that  the  Ottawas  were  in  fear  of 
any  interruption  from  eavesdroppers,  but  their  cus- 
tom of  keeping  sentinels  on  guard  caused  Asher 
Norris  to  use  the  most  extreme  caution  in  with- 
drawing from  the  dangerous  neighborhood,  and  it 
was  well  he  did  so,  for  within  the  space  of  a  few 
minutes  he  was  involved  in  an  unexpected  and  most 
peculiar  peril. 


,/!;:;:■  ^' 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"BLOW    HER  UP,   jack!" 

THE  extreme  care  taken  by  Asher  Norris  in 
withdrawing  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Ottawa 
campfire  made  his  progress  of  necessity  very  slow. 
So  guarded  was  his  approach  that  fully  two  hours 
had  elapsed  when  he  turned  his  back  on  the  scene 
and  step  by  step  made  his  way  toward  Detroit 
river.  Probably  half  the  distance  was  passed  when 
he  paused  and  looked  around.  His  keen  eyes  saw 
nothing  but  impenetrable  darkness.  Not  the  first 
twinkle  of  a  campfire  was  visible. 

"  That  's  mighty  strange,"  he  said  to  himself, 
"  for  I  am  sure  that  when  I  first  caught  sight  of  it 
I  was  nearer  the  river  than  now.  Jo  has  told  me 
that  when  the  Indians  are  about  to  break  camp  at 
night  they  sometimes  smother  the  fire,  so  as  to  leave 
no  traces  that  can  be  seen  in  the  darkness.  It  looks 
as  if  they  had  done  something  of  this  kind.  If  so, 
then  they  must  be  moving  toward  the  water — " 

The  thought  had  hardly  assumed  shape  in  his 
mind  when  a  guttural  exclamation  was  answered  by 
several  others.     All  came  from  a  point  between  him 


52  PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

and  the  Indian  camp,  and  only  a  few  yards  distant. 
Beyond  a  doubt,  the  Ottawas,  under  the  lead  of 
Pontiac,  were  advancing  to  the  Detroit  river,  over 
precisely  the  same  course  he  had  taken,  and  were 
almost  literally  treading  on  his  heels. 

It  was  a  startling  situation,  and  it  seemed  to  Ashcr 
that  his  hair  rose  on  end.  If  he  turned  to  the  right 
or  left  he  would  have  to  move  so  briskly  that  he 
was  certain  to  be  heard  by  these  keen-eared  red- 
men.  If  he  continued  toward  the  river  they  would 
soon  overtake  him,  for  to  attempt  to  travel  faster 
was  to  reveal  his  presence,  and  yet  something  must 
be  done  and  on  the  instant. 

The  hands  with  which  he  was  groping  his  way 
encountered  the  shaggy  bark  of  an  oak.  The  trunk 
was  large  enough  to  screen  his  body,  and,  stepping 
close  behind  it,  he  stood  erect,  interposing  it  as  a 
shield  between  him  and  his  enemies  and  praying 
that  they  would  go  by  without  discovering  him. 

No  human  being,  or  bird,  or  animal,  for  that  mat> 
ter,  has  the  faculty  of  seeing  where  there  is  no  light 
at  all  to  assist  vision.  In  this  blank  gloom  the 
Ottawas  must  depend  mainly  upon  the  sense  of 
feeling  to  avoid  unpleasant  collisions.  They  would 
grope  deftly  here  and  there,  touching  everything  in 
their  path  of  travel. 

Thus  it  came  about  while  the  young  man  was 
listening  to  the  bird-like  rustling  on  the  leaves  made 


'* BLOW  HEU  UP,  jACin**  53 

by  the  moccasins,  he  heard  the  impact  of  a  warrior's 
hand  against  the  bark  on  the  other  side  of  the  tree 
trunk  which  was  sheltering  him.  The  gentlest  touch 
was  sufficient,  and,  swerving  slightly  to  one  side,  he 
moved  on,  the  whole  party  drawing  near  the  river 
like  so  many  phantoms. 

Asher  waited  until  some  minutes  after  he  was 
sure  every  one  of  the  shadows  had  passed.  Then  he 
followed  after  them,  so  fearful  of  overtaking  and 
mingling  with  the  party  that  he  turned  to  the  left, 
so  that  when  he  finally  reached  the  river's  bank,  it 
was  at  a  point  considerably  removed  from  where  he 
had  landed. 

The  impressive  feature  about  this  strange  business 
was  that  everything  thus  far  passed  in  complete 
silence.  But  for  what  his  eyes  had  told  him  and 
what  he  had  learned  during  his  life  at  his  home  on  a 
frontier  post,  he  would  have  found  it  hard  to  believe 
that  any  living  person  beside  himself  was  within  a 
mile  of  the  spot.  And  yet  there  was  a  formidable 
band  of  warriors  under  the  leadership  of  one  of  the 
great  Indians  of  history,  completing,  if  they  had 
not  already  completed,  their  preparations  for  attack- 
ing the  schooner  anchored  in  mid-stream,  whose 
scant  but  dauntless  crew  were  as  much  veiled  from 
sight  as  were  their  deadly  enemies.  .   , 

Like  the  veteran  ranger,  the  young  man  had 
formed  the  belief  that  the  blow  would  not  be  struck 


54  PONT/AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

until  the  night  was  well  past,  but  it  looked  now  as  if 
the  dusky  raiders  were  so  confident  of  success  that 
they  did  not  intend  to  wait.  Be  all  this  as  it  might, 
Asher  was  anxious  above  all  things  to  get  back  to 
the  vessel,  not  only  to  warn  Captain  Horst  and  his 
men  (hardly  necessary),  but  to  give  help  in  the 
defence,  which  was  certain  to  be  of  the  most  des- 
perate natur»^. 

Accordingly,  he  started  to  wade  out  in  the  water, 
but  had  taken  only  a  couple  of  steps  when  he 
dropped  into  an  unsuspected  hole,  which  drew  him 
under  the  surface  with  a  splash.  Believing  that  his 
mishap  would  quickly  bring  some  of  the  warriors  to 
the  spot,  he  swam  as  far  as  he  could  under  water, 
and  when  forced  to  rise  for  breath  dived  again,  so 
that  when  he  rose  a  second  time  he  was  beyond 
sight  of  any  one  on  the  bank. 

Like  his  uncle,  he  was  now  obliged  to  follow  his 
judgment  alone,  as  to  the  location  of  the  schooner. 
He  knew  that  he  was  below  it,  and,  swimming  until 
near  the  middle  of  the  stream,  he  headed  up  the 
current  and  put  forth  all  of  the  remarkable  skill  at 
his  command. 

Asher  Norris  gained  a  vivid  reminder  of  the  perils 
of  a  reconnoissance  against  a  party  of  hostiles. 
Suddenly  something  loomed  to  sight  directly  ahead 
of  him.  He  '*  backed  water"  until  he  could  make 
out  what  it  was,  for  he  knew  it  was  not  the  vessel. 


*' BLOW  HER   UP,  JACK! "*  %% 

It  was  an  Indian  canoe,  and  there  was  a  second 
and  a  third.  Evidently  the  occupants  had  not  seen 
him,  though  he  had  not  been  swimming  in  absolute 
silence.  So  wonderfully  fine  was  the  action  of  the 
Ottawa  paddles  that  only  when  the  young  man's 
ears  were  below  the  surface  could  he  catch  the  soft 
rippling  through  the  better  conductor  of  sound. 
That  party's  approach  to  the  sloop  would  never  be 
discovered  through  the  sense  of  hearing. 

Since  the  canoes  were  moving  diagonally  in  the 
same  direction  as  Asher,  he  now  did  that  which  he 
would  not  have  dared  to  do  under  less  urgent  neces- 
sity. Sheering  to  the  left  he  took  partly  the  same 
course,  determined,  if  the  thing  were  possible,  to 
reach  his  friends  before  the  danger  burst  upon  them. 

In  this  he  was  fortunately  successful.  While  still 
feeling  his  way,  as  may  be  said,  the  familiar  out- 
lines assumed  form  in  the  darkness,  and  the  next 
minute  he  was  under  the  stern  and  climbing  aboard 
by  means  of  the  rudder. 

"  Is  Uncle  Jo  here  ? "  he  asked  in  an  excited 
whisper. 

**  I  reckon  I  am,"  answered  that  individual,  who, 
with  Captain  Horst,  stood  ready  to  fire  upon  him, 
in  case  he  proved  to  be  some  one  else. 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,  for  there  's  the  mischief  to 
pay." 

"  Bein*  as  how  we  've  had  a  'spicion  of  something 


iliCdj;j 


|6 


PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 


of  the  kind  for  some  time,  I  might  ask  if  that  *s  all 
the  news  you  bring." 

Asher  N orris  showed  his  training  by  proceeding 
to  draw  the  charge  from  his  rifle  and  reloading  it, 
while  talking  to  his  relative,  the  captain,  and  the 
mate,  the  others  holding  their  places,  so  as  to  avert 
a  surprise.  Jo  Spain,  who  had  found  his  way  back 
to  the  boat  with  considerable  difficulty  some  time 
before,  had  taken  the  same  precaution. 

"  But  Pontiac  and  his  men  are  on  the  river;  I 
saw  their  canoes  only  a  few  minutes  ago. " 

This  was  news,  and  the  ranger  ceased  his  banter- 
ing manner.  He  asked  his  nephew  to  tell  all  that 
he  had  learned,  and  Asher  did  so  as  briefly  as  pos- 
sible. 

"  You  were  right,"  said  Captain  Horst,  "  they 
are  on  both  sides  of  us,  and  when  they  attack  it  will 
be  from  all  directions. " 

**  They  are  not  on  the  sides  of  the  stream,"  cor- 
rected Asher,  **  but  on  the  stream  itself;  don't  for- 
get that." 

*'  You  seed  only  three  canoes;  they  *ve  come  out 
to  look  around ;  it  's  too  airly  for  the  varmints  to 
open  bus'ness." 

•'  We  can't  be  sure  of  that." 

**  What  's  the  odds  ?  One  time  will  suit  us  as 
well  as  another — sh!  " 

A  tremulous,  bird-like  call,  such  as  the  ranger  had 


*' BLOW  HER   UP,  JACK! 'I  57 

noticed  earlier  in  the  evening,  was  heard  by  every 
one  on  the  schooner. 

**  That  seems  to  be  from  the  bank  over  there," 
whispered  the  mate. 

**  It  is  n't  from  the  bank,  but  from  the  river;  the 
boy  is  right ;  the  varmints  will  attack  us  inside  the 
next  ten  minutes.  Pontiac  thinks  he  has  an  easy 
thing  of  it,  but  it  won't  be  the  first  mistake  he  's 
made." 

Nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  further  talk,  and 
the  men  separated,  stationing  themselves  here  and 
there  along  the  sides  and  at  the  bow  and  stern  of 
the  schooner,  so  that  no  point  was  left  unguarded. 
The  ranger,  who  seemed  naturally  to  assume  the 
position  of  captain  or  director  by  virtue  of  the  pecul- 
iar circumstances,  did  not  stand  still,  but  moved 
back  and  forth  among  the  men,  warning  them  to  be 
on  the  alert,  and  to  fire  at  the  first  moving  object 
they  discovered  in  the  water. 

The  same  keenness  of  attention  enabled  every  one 
on  board  to  hear  the  answering  whistle  from  the 
direction  of  the  left  bank,  followed  a  minute  later 
by  several  calls  from  as  many  different  points  of  the 
compass.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  Pontiac 's 
plan  was  working  to  perfection. 

Jo  Spain  had  hardly  reached  the  prow  of  the  ves- 
sel when  he  saw  one  of  the  men  bring  his  rifle  to  his 
shoulder.     Instead  of  asking  the  meaning  of  the 


58  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

action,  the  ranger  glanced  out  on  the  river,  where 
he  was  able  to  discern  something  that  looked  like  a 
canoe,  but  it  was  hovering  on  the  very  edge  of 
invisibility,  so  that  even  his  eyes  could  not  be 
certain.  -  i 

Nothing  was  said,  but  the  man  kept  his  weapon 
levelled,  and  the  next  moment  pulled  the  trigger. 
No  outcry  followed,  and  when  he  lowered  his  piece 
and  leaned  forward  to  peer  into  the  gloom,  the 
object,  whatever  it  was,  had  vanished. 

"  'T  was  a  good  shot,  Jim,  all  the  same,"  said 
Jo ;  **  and  for  all  the  varmint  did  n't  yell,  I  should  n't 
be  'sprised  if  you  hit  him.     It  's  my  idee " 

The  words  were  cut  short  by  the  discharge  of  a 
rifle  from  the  stern,  having  been  fired,  indeed,  by 
Captain  Horst.  Jo  started  hurriedly  in  that  direc- 
tion, but  when  half-way  along  the  taffrail  looked 
over  the  river  and  saw  several  canoes  approaching 
the  sloop  with  the  speed  of  swallows.  It  was  the 
same  on  the  other  side,  at  the  bow  and  stern,  and, 
indeed,  from  all  points  of  the  compass. 

The  Indians  had  moved  silently  about  with  their 
canoes  until  the  vessel  was  actually  surrounded,  and 
then,  at  a  signal  from  Pontiac,  they  all  headed 
toward  the  schooner.  They  unacjstood  the  ways 
of  white  men  well  enough  to  know  that  one  or  two 
of  their  number  would  be  on  guard,  but  they  prob- 
ably expected  to  board  and  capture  the  boat  before 


*'£LOW^  HBk  UP,  JACJtr*  59 

the  rest  of  the  crew  could  be  aroused  and  brought 
to  the  defence.  ,        ;■ 

The  woful  mistake  made  by  Asher  Norris  (and 
partly  shared  by  Jo  Spain)  was  in  believing  that  not 
many  more  than  fifty  Indians  would  make  the 
attack.  It  is  a  historical  fact  that  the  assailants  of 
the  schooner  Gladwytiy  on  that  sultry  August  night 
in  1763,  were  more  than  three  hundred  in  number. 
The  shadowy  canoes  seemed  to  cover  the  river  and 
to  dart  forward  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 
It  was  impossible  to  tell  from  what  quarter  the  main 
attack  was  made,  except  that  it  was  from  every 
quarter. 

The  ranger  sprang  forward,  and,  seeing  that  the 
single  cannon  could  not  miss,  touched  it  off.  Its 
thunderous  report  awoke  the  echoes  along  shore  and 
was  followed  by  a  series  of  screeches  and  a  splashing 
in  the  water,  which  told  that  it  had  done  frightful 
execution.  Had  the  number  of  assailants  been  what 
it  was  suspected,  this  probably  would  have  checked 
them,  and  given  the  defenders  a  chance  to  reload 
their  rifles,  but  the  next  minute  the  hordes  were 
swarming  over  bow,  stern,  and  sides,  their  knives  in 
their  teeth,  and  eager  for  the  massacre. 

With  clubbed  guns  and  with  knives  and  hatchets, 
the  white  men  fought  with  the  fury  of  desperation. 
They  knew  that  defeat  or  capture  meant  not  simply 
death,  but  intolerable  torture.    The  shouts  and  cries 


6o  PONT/ AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

of  the  combatants  made  hideous  the  night.  Many 
of  the  assailants  were  struck  down  on  the  deck,  and 
did  not  rise  again.  Several  of  the  defenders  also 
fell,  Captain  Horst  being  the  first  man  slain.  When 
his  voice  became  silent,  and  his  figure  lay  motion- 
less, the  others  struggled  more  furiously  than  ever. 
In  a  brief  while  the  slain  Indians  were  double  the 
number  of  white  men,  and  yet  with  so  many  it 
effected  nothing  in  the  way  of  repulse.  ; 

Mate  Jacobs  was  as  cool  as  he  was  brave.  He 
awaited  the  critical  moment,  which  speedily  came. 
Resistance  was  hopeless,  and  he  called  out  in  a  ring- 
ing  voice : 

*'Blow  her  up.  Jack!" 


)• '  ..  •- 


;»'■,? 


',.'(■)'    \,'     '      V      .A  ■.3"'  '■  i'-'v, 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WAITING  FOR  DAYLIGHT. 

WHO  would  have  suspected  that  the  last, 
desperate,  despairing  commrnd  of  Mate 
Jacobs  to  one  of  his  men  would  be  the  means  of 
saving  the  schooner  ?    Yet  such  was  the  fact. 

Jack  Carson,  the  sailor,  who  heard  the  words,  ran 
forward  with  the  intention  of  firing  the  magazine 
and  blowing  the  vessel  to  atoms,  but  before  he 
reached  the  spot  he  stopped,  transfixed  by  a  remark- 
able scene. 

Among  the  Indians  that  had  obtained  possession 
of  the  deck  were  several  Wyandots  who  understood 
English  and  knew  the  meaning  of  the  order  of  the 
mate.  They  saw  that  if  they  remained  another 
minute  they  and  their  companions  would  be  hurled 
into  eternity.  They  shouted  a  warning,  and  the 
same  moment  leaped  as  far  out  into  the  river  as 
they  could,  and  swam  with  might  and  main,  diving 
and  diving  again  in  the  furious  effort  to  get  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  schooner  before  the  explosion 
came.  In  a  twinkling,  as  may  be  said,  not  an 
Indian  was  left  on  board  the  Gladwyn. 

6i 


62  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

The  defenders  could  hardly  credit  their  senses. 
The  retreat  was  as  sudden  as  the  attack.  In  one 
second  all  hope  was  gone,  and  in  the  next  second 
the  peril  had  departed. 

But  there  could  not  be  such  savage  fighting  with- 
out some  sad  consequences.  Of  the  crew,  two  had 
been  killed  during  the  fight,  and  four  were  seriously 
wounded.  Of  the  Indians,  seven  were  killed  and 
twenty  wounded,  and  it  is  known  that  eight  of  the 
latter  died  within  a  brief  time.  As  has  been  stated, 
Captain  Horst  was  the  first  one  of  the  defenders  to 
fall,  the  other  being  a  member  of  the  crew.  Jo 
Spain  ^^  i  hurt,  though  he  made  light  of  his  injury, 
while  n-aher  Norris  was  one  of  the  six  gallant  de- 
fenders who  did  not  receive  a  scratch.  , ., 

The  dead  and  wounded  were  tenderly  looked 
after,  but  the  fear  of  a  renewal  of  the  attack  kept 
the  rest  on  the  alert.  The  single  cannon  was 
recharged  to  the  muzzle,  and  each  rifle  placed  ready 
for  ii  t  "  >:  use,  while  the  unhurt  men  moved  here 
and  there  on  the  watch  for  the  first  appearance  of 
their  enemies. 

"  I  never  dreamed  that  my  order  to  Jack  to  blow 
up  the  schooner  would  have  that  effect,"  said  Mate 
Jacobs  to  Jo  Spain,  after  they  had  partly  recovered 
from  the  flurry.  **  It 's  a  pity  I  did  n't  try  it  before 
poor  Captain  Horst  went  down." 

"  It  come  about  'cause  some  of  the  varmints 


WAITING  FOR  DA  YLIGHT,  63 

knowed  what  you  meant  by  the  words;  a  redskin 
don't  care  any  more  'bout  bein'  lifted  among  the 
clouds  by  gunpowder  than  we  do."  ^ 

"  Do  you  fancy  they  will  try  it  again  ?  " 

"  Not  if  we  keep  the  right  sort  of  watch;  they  '11 
be  pryin'  'round  purty  soon  to  see  if  we  're  of  the 
'pinion  that  we  can  afford  to  go  to  sleep  over  it, 
which  the  same  observation  reminds  me,  as  it 
were " 

And  with  this  remark,  the  ranger  brought  his 
long,  formidable  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  took  the  best 
aim  he  could  in  the  darkness,  and  pressed  the 
trigger. 

As  the  spiteful  crack  rang  out  over  the  water  it 
was  echoed  by  a  screech  that  left  no  doubt  of  its 
effect. 

**  I  did  n't  see  anything  out  there,"  observed 
Asher  Norris,  looking  toward  the  point  at  which  the 
weapon  had  been  aimed.     *  *  Was  he  in  a  canoe  ? ' ' 

"  No;  he  wasn't  fool  'nough  for  that;  he  was 
swimmin' ;  I  'm  s' prised  that  he  should  try  it  so 
soon  after  the  scrimmage;  but  he  won't  do  so  no 
more.  As  I  was  obsarvin'  when  that  varmint  broke 
in  on  me,  they  don't  want  to  let  us  slip  away,  now 
that  we  've  scooped  in  so  many;  they  know,  too, 
that  we  've  a  lot  of  powder  on  board,  and  Pontiac 
wants  to  get  it  mighty  bad. ' ' 

"  Do  you  think  he  was  among  the  assailants  ?  " 


64 


PONT/ AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 


"  Do  I  think  so  ?  I  know  it.  I  could  tell  his 
voice  in  a  thousand;  it  was  too  dark  to  see  very 
plain,  but  I  catched  sight  of  the  chap.  He  climbed 
up  over  the  bow,  and  was  one  of  the  fust  on  deck. 
Pontiac  aint  no  coward;  I  tried  my  best  to  get  at 
him,  but  there  was  so  many  atween  us,  and  things 
were  so  interestin'  like,  that  I  could  n't  get  ahead 
very  fast.  I  think  he  knowed  me  after  a  bit,  and 
he  was  as  eager  to  get  at  me  as  I  was  to  reach  him. 
So  we  both  set  out  to  do  that,  which  the  same  bein' 
so,  we  worked  along  the  deck  purty  fast,  till  we  was 
almost  within  reach,  and  then " 

"Well?" 

"  Jacobs  sung  out,  *  Blow  her  up,  Jack! '  Th^re 
never  was  a  worse  scared  Injin  than  Pontiac  at  them 
words.  He  did  n't  need  anybody  to  tell  him  what 
they  meant,  fur  the  rapscallion  knows  English  as 
well  as  he  knows  Ottawa,  and  he  made  one  big 
jump  as  if  he  expected  to  land  up  among  the  limbs 
of  the  trees  on  the  island  over  there,  and  that  was 
the  last  of  him. " 

So  hurried  had  been  the  flight  of  the  assailants 
that,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  their  people,  they 
left  such  as  were  killed  on  the  deck,  four  in  number, 
where  they  fell.  The  bodies  were  flung  overboard. 
The  startling  cry  of  the  mate  so  wrought  upon  the 
badly  wounded  that  they  forgot  their  hurts  for  the 
moment  and  plunged  overboard  with  the  others, 


WAITING  FOR  DA  YLIGHT.  65 

though,  as  we  have  stated,  quite  a  number  did  not 
survive. 

It  was  certainly  singular  that  any  one  of  the  Ind- 
ians should  have  expected  to  find  the  white  men  off 
their  guard  after  the  exciting  events  a  short  time 
before,  but  the  severe  lesson  given  by  the  ranger 
produced  a  wholesome  effect.  They  were  not  likely 
to  repeat  the  experiment  for  some  time  to  come. 

Jo  did  not  hold  one  position.  He  passed  back 
and  forth  over  the  deck,  pausing  here  and  there  to 
peer  out  into  the  gloom,  while  his  anxiety  to  hear 
the  slightest  noise  caused  him  to  speak  in  a  whisper. 
The  bird-like  calls  from  one  shore  to  another  left  no 
doubt  that  the  hostiles  were  signaling  to  one  an- 
other, and  the  ranger  knew  that  if  the  least  invitation 
were  given  the  attack  would  be  renewed  in  over- 
whelming numbers.  The  crew  was  weak  enough  in 
the  first  place,  but  it  was  now  so  much  weaker  that 
hardly  a  moment's  stand  could  be  made  against  the 
rush.  It  was  the  dread  of  the  blowing  up  of  the 
schooner — that,  and  nothing  else — which  kept  the 
Ottawas  and  their  friends  at  bay. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour,  to  the  surprise  of  every 
one,  a  slight  breeze  made  itself  felt.  It  was  hardly 
to  be  hoped  that  it  would  hold,  but  the  mate 
ordered  the  sails  set,  so  that  no  possible  advantage 
should  be  lost.  The  anchor  having  been  lifted,  the 
soft  rippling  at  the  bow  showed  that  the  schooner 


66  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

was  actually  moving  in  the  direction  of  Fort 
Detroit. 

The  progress,  however,  was  very  gentle,  and  the 
breeze  carried  the  craft  less  than  a  fourth  of  a  mile 
when  it  died  away  altogether.  Still  in  the  hope  that 
it  might  be  renewed,  Captain  Jacobs — as  he  might 
now  be  considered — allowed  the  sails  to  stand  and 
kept  the  anchor  raised.  Strange  it  was  that  even 
such  a  veteran  as  Jo  Spain  did  not  suspect  the  peril 
this  was  liable  to  bring  upon  them.  ' 

Surrounded  by  the  deep  gloom,  with  both  shores 
invisible,  and  no  stars  or  moon  in  the  sky,  the  cap- 
tain and  crew  did  not  suspect,  what  was  the  fact, 
that  the  schooner  was  drifting  and  actually  losing 
way.  It  was  farther  down  stream  than  when  the 
anchor  was  hoisted. 

The  gravest  of  consequences  might  have  followed 
from  this  blunder,  but  for  its  detection  through  an 
unexpected  occurrence.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
there  was  a  moon  in  the  sky,  though  its  light  was 
shut  out  by  the  mass  of  clouds  which  overspread 
and  filled  the  heavens,  but  by  and  by  there  came  a 
partial  lightening.  The  gibbous  orb  showed  for  a 
moment  at  the  ragged  opening  between  two  ex- 
panses of  vapor,  only  to  vanish  immediately. 

"  Wal,  I  '11  be  shot  !  "  exclaimed  the  ranger  to 
the  captain;  "  drop  the  anchor,  quick  !  ** 

The  order  was  promptly  given  and  obeyed.    Then 


WAITING  FOR  DA  YLIGHT.  Wf 

Jacobs  asked  the  meaning  of  the  hunter's  excla- 
mation. 

**  There  aint  more  'n  twenty  yards  atween  us  and 
Fightin'  Island  !  •• 

**  Great  heavens  !  "  replied  the  captain;  "  I  was 
sure  that  if  we  were  n't  going  forward,  we  were 
holding  our  own ;  it  's  a  bad  place  for  us  to  be,  and 
I  'II  let  the  sails  stand,  so  if  there  comes  a  cat's-paw 
we  can  use  it. " 

Just  then  the  moon  seemed  to  flirt  some  of  the 
obstructing  clouds  from  before  her  face,  and  every 
man  saw  that  Jo  had  spoken  the  truth.  There  were 
the  deep  gloomy  trees,  seemingly  so  close  that  one 
could  have  tossed  a  biscuit  among  them. 

**  The  worst  of  this  infernal  business  is,  * '  added  Jo, 
**  that  the  varmints  will  find  it  out  mighty  sudden." 

"  They  will  not  dare  to  board  us." 

**  There  won't  be  any  need  of  it;  they  '11  just 
stand  back  among  the  trees  and  let  drive  as  they  get 
the  chance,  and  there  '11  be  plenty  of  chances." 

It  was  a  most  uncomfortable  situation,  but  the 
sagacious  ranger  had  the  remedy  to  offer.  It  prob- 
ably was  the  fact  that  their  enemies  were  unaware 
of  the  new  peril  of  the  schooner,  but  they  would 
not  remain  long  in  ignorance.  If  the  Gladwyn  were 
there  when  the  sun  rose,  some,  if  not  all,  of  the 
crew  would  be  picked  off.  She  must  get  nearer 
the  middle  of  the  broad  river  if  she  would  escape. 


63  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  CF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

Three  of  the  crew  stepped  softly  into  the  small 
boat  at  the  ste*  n,  which  had  not  been  harmed  dur- 
ing the  conflict.  There  were  three  pairs  of  oars, 
which  they  took  in  hand.  Pointing  the  bow  toward 
the  left  shore,  they  rowed  with  might  and  main, 
while  the  remainder  stood  with  guns  ready  to 
use  the  instant  a  sight  was  caught  of  any  of  the 
Indians. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  schooner  was  a 
small  one,  and  she  speedily  lelt  the  tugging  at  her 
side.  The  heavy  bow  slowly  swung  out  stream, 
and  she  began  moving  at  a  snail's  pace  through  the 
water. 

It  was  important  that  the  mistake  should  not  be 
made  of  going  too  far,  for  there  were  no  landmarks 
to  guide,  and  in  their  eagerness  they  might  cross 
over  to  the  western  bank. 

"  That  'II  do,"  suddenly  called  Jo,  in  a  guarded 
voice;  "  hurry  back,  boys  !  " 

It  seemed  to  Captain  Jacobs  that  they  had  not 
gone  far  enough,  but  he  accepted  the  view  of  the 
ranger,  who  pronounced  their  escape  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  he  had  known. 

"  We  was  a  lot  of  fools  that  we  did  n't  think  of 
it,"  he  said,  "  but  I  make  no  doubt  that  we  're  a 
confounded  nearer  Fort  Niagara,  and  consequently 
farther  from  Detroit  than  we  was  when  we  had  the 
row  with  Pontiac  and  the  rest  of  the  varmints.    Now 


WAITING  FOR  DAYLICHT,  69 

when  you  let  the  anchor  drop  agin,  we  *11  'low  it 
stay  there  till  sun  up,  no  matter  if  a  hurricane 
knocks  things  stiff." 

No  one  felt  a  disposition  to  sleep.  Their  experi- 
ence had  been  too  frightful,  while  the  presence  of 
the  two  cold  and  motionless  bodies  and  of  the 
wounded  men  was  a  forceful  reminder  of  what  had 
taken  place  but  a  short  time  before  and  what,  despite 
the  extraordinary  escape  of  the  rest,  was  possible 
might  occur  again. 

There  had  been  a  moment  when  all  expected  to 
plunge  into  eternity  together,  but  having  survived, 
the  longing  for  life  returned,  though  sooner  than 
surrender  or  submit  to  capture,  the  torch  would  be 
applied  to  the  magazine.  At  any  rate,  everything 
depended  upon  unremitting  vigilance,  and  that  was 
maintained  through  the  long  solemn  hours  which 
intervened  between  the  repulse  and  daylight. 

Again  the  faint,  far-away  report  of  a  gun  came 
through  the  arches  of  the  forest,  followed  by  the  cry 
of  the  night-hawk  and  the  bark  of  the  fox.  The 
occasional  breaking  of  the  clouds  overhead  gave  fit- 
ful glimpses  of  the  smooth,  silent  river,  and  once 
when  the  face  of  the  moon  was  entirely  clear,  the 
faint  outline  of  the  shore  on  the  left  loomed  out  of 
the  darkness,  quickly  to  vanish  again. 

Strange  that  for  hours  not  a  sight  or  sound  was 
gained  of  the  redmen  who  had  raged  so  fiercely, 


JO  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

filling  tke  night  with  their  wild  cries  and  their  fierce 
endeavor  to  slay  those  that  had  never  done  them 
harm. 

"  Jo,"  said  the  captain,  calling  the  ranger  to  the 
stem  of  the  vessel,  "  there  's  something  the  matter 
with  the  rudder." 

"How?"  r-. 

"  It  does  n't  move  freely." 

*'  Some  of  the  varmints  clum  up  that  way,  and  it 
might  be  they  knocked  it  askew." 

"  I  hardly  think  that,  but  it  's  near  daylight,  and 
we  shall  soon  find  out  what  it  means." 

When  the  gray  mist  of  morning  began  stealing 
over  forest  and  river,  the  two  looked  curiously  down 
from  the  stern  of  the  vessel  at  the  old-fashioned 
steering  apparatus  which  was  moved  by  a  long 
curved  tiller. 

The  upper  part  of  the  rudder  projected  slightly 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and,  balanced  across 
it,  face  downwards,  with  his  head  and  shoulders  on 
one  side  and  the  lower  part  of  his  body  and  legs  on 
the  other,  was  an  Indian  warrior  that  had  long  been 
dead,  lying  just  as  he  had  fallen  hours  before. 

The  ranger  stepped  carefully  down  and  turned  the 
face  so  that  both  could  see  the  features.  "  Umph! 
I  thought  so,"  he  exclaimed. 

It  was  all  that  was  left  of  Red  Feather,  the  Iro- 
quois. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ABSENT  ONE. 

BEFORE  it  was  fairly  light,  the  wind  sprang  up 
anew,  the  anchor  was  hoisted  and,  the  sails 
of  the  schooner,  catching  the  impulse,  carried  the 
vessel  up  the  river  toward  the  fort  of  Detroit.  In  a 
short  time  Fighting  Island  was  left  to  the  south, 
and  the  open  stream  lay  before  them  all  the  way  to 
the  post  and  to  Lake  St.  Clair  beyond.  i 

Now  that  the  Gladwyn  had  escaped  from  the  over- 
whelming attack,  there  was  well-grounded  fear  that 
it  would  be  annoyed  in  an  equally  treacherous  man- 
ner. With  that  dread  of  the  blowing  up  of  the  ves- 
sel in  the  last  emergency,  it  was  not  believed  that 
the  assault  would  be  repeated,  for  since  the  defenders 
could  detect  any  approach  before  the  hostiies  were 
within  striking  distance,  thus  enabling  them  to  use 
the  small  cannon  and  their  comparatively  numerous 
rifles  several  times  before  coming  to  close  quarters, 
the  Indians  would  shrink  from  the  risk,  leaving  out 
of  consideration  the  other  fear  of  being  involved  in 
the  blowing  up  of  the  craft. 

Accordingly,  Jo  Spain  instructed  the  crew  to  keep 

71 


^2  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

as  much  out  of  sight  as  possible.  That  the  advice 
was  wise  was  proved  more  than  once,  when  shots 
were  fired  from  both  shores,  the  bullets  whistling 
startlingly  close.  The  ranger,  who  was  on  the 
watch,  caught  sight  of  a  Wyandot,  more  reckless 
than  his  companions,  who  stood  out  in  full  view  on 
a  small  clearing,  and  deliberately  pointed  his  gun  at 
Jo,  who  was  just  as  prominent  on  the  deck  of  the 
schooner.  But  the  white  man  was  more  prompt  in 
sighting  and  pulling  trigger.  As  a  consequence,  the 
warrior's  bullet  went  wild,  and  since  that  of  the 
ranger  sped  true,     o  more  need  be  added.  r . 

A  few  miles  above  Fighting  Island,  the  schooner 
came  in  sight  of  the  French  houses  which  lined  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  river  from  a  mile  below  the  fort 
to  almost  the  same  distance  above,  Detroit  standing 
on  the  opposite  or  western  shore.  About  half-way 
between  the  upper  and  lower  ends  of  the  fringe  of 
French  cabins  and  directly  back  of  them,  was  the 
camp  of  the  Wyandots.  Farther  north  and  above  a 
point  opposite  the  post  and  also  back  of  the  cabins 
was  the  camp  of  the  Ottawas,  while  that  of  the  Pot- 
tawatomies  was  on  the  western  shore,  just  below 
Detroit. 

•'  We  '11  catch  it  from  both  sides,"  remarked  Jo 
Spain,  as  they  approached  the  last-named  camp, 
*'  and  we  must  lay  low." 

It  was  well  that  all  hands  followed  his  advice. 


THE  ABSENT  ONE.  73 

The  schooner  was  near  mid-channel,  going  smoothly 
forward,  when  fully  a  hundred  warriors,  dancing 
about  and  furiously  shrieking,  opened  a  rattling  fire, 
which  was  kept  up  until  the  vessel  passed  beyond 
range.  The  bullets  pattered  against  the  hull,  the 
masts,  and  the  cabin  and  elevated  portions  of  the 
vessel,  cut  through  the  sails,  and  skipped  and  pat- 
tered in  the  water  beyond.  The  precaution  of  the 
men  saved  them  from  harm. 

Only  a  short  distance  above  and  on  the  other 
shore  was  the  village  of  the  Wyandots,  where  the 
performance  was  repeated.  Captain  Jacobs  set  the 
rudder,  and  the  remainder  of  the  crew  made  sure 
they  were  protected,  so  that  good  fortune  again 
attended  them.  Then  the  schooner  swung  over 
toward  the  western  bank,  and  came  to  anchor  under 
the  protection  of  the  guns  of  the  fort. 

The  arrival  of  the  vessel  was  an  event  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  siege  of  Detroit.  In  the  sultry  stillness 
of  the  preceding  night,  the  reports  of  the  guns  down 
the  river  had  been  plainly  heard,  and  Major  Glad- 
wyn  and  his  garrison  hardly  dared  to  hope  that  any 
of  the  crew  had  escaped.  Their  fears  became 
despair,  when  one  of  the  French  residents,  most  of 
whom  were  secretly  friendly  to  the  Americans,  came 
over  about  daybreak  with  word  that  a  Wyandot  run- 
ner had  just  told  him  that  the  schooner  had  been 
captured  and  all  on  board  slain.    And  here  was  the 


PI  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

vessel  herself.  True,  she  brought  two  dead  and  four 
seriously  wounded,  but  that  was  better  than  was 
expected.  Besides,  the  supply  of  powder  was  most 
welcome,  for  the  ammunition  was  already  running 
low,  because  of  the  vigorous  defence  required  by  the 
incessant  attacks  of  Pontiac  and  his  men.  The  dead 
were  tenderly  buried,  and  the  injured  attended  with 
such  care  that  after  a  time  all  fully  recovered  from 
their  grievous  wounds. 

Jo  Spain  was  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Peggy  Norris, 
the  mother  of  Asher,  and  she  and  her  husband  gave 
the  brave  ranger  joyous  welcome.  It  was  because 
of  these  connections  that  Jo,  when  he  accompanied 
Major  Rogers  westward  to  receive  the  surrender  of 
Detroit,  remained  at  the  post,  instead  of  returning 
eastward  with  that  famous  Indian  fighter.  < 

A  gentler  and  warmer  welcome  awaited  the  son  at 
the  hands  of  his  parents.  Some  faint  idea,  perhaps, 
may  be  formed  of  the  anguish  of  the  father  arid 
mother  when  they  heard  the  sounds  of  firing  during 
the  impressive  stillness  of  the  night,  and,  while  not 
certain,  they  still  had  reason  to  believe  that  their 
only  child  was  on  board  the  imperiled  schooner. 
And  here,  too,  he  was,  with  his  sturdy  arms  around 
the  neck  of  each  in  turn,  and  without  so  much  as  a 
scratch  to  tell  of  the  frightful  ordeal  through  which 
he  had  passed. 

Several  weeks  had  passed  since  the  departure  of 


THE  ABSENT  ONE.  75 

the  son,  and  as  he  looked  around  the  palisaded 
inclosure  very  few  and  slight  changes  caught  his  eye. 
The  little  wooden  houses  were  arranged  with  no 
regard  to  symmetry  or  appearance,  and  a  conflagra- 
tion once  started  among  them  would  lay  all  in  ashes. 
But  the  sentinels  were  alert,  the  cannon  were  kept 
fully  charged,  and  whenever  a  hostile  stole  up  within 
range  the  chances  were  that  he  would  be  riddled  be- 
fore he  could  get  away.  A  number  of  outbuildings, 
which  gave  the  assailants  good  shelter,  and  from 
which  they  kept  up  for  a  time  an  annoying  fire,  had 
been  set  in  flames  by  red-hot  shot,  and  destroyed. 
All  appearances  promised  that  if  the  garrison  could 
maintain  a  supply  of  food  and  ammunition  they 
would  be  able  to  hold  Pontiac  at  bay  for  an  indefl- 
rtitetime. 

It  may  be  noted  here  as  an  interesting  fact  that 
the  French  settlers  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
Detroit  river  gave  valuable  aid  to  the  beleaguered 
garrison.  This,  of  necessity,  was  secret,  for  Pontiac 
would  have  visited  ferocious  punishment  upon  them 
had  the  knowledge  come  to  him.  Just  before  the 
chieftain  made  his  famous  visit  to  Major  Gladwyn, 
at  which  he  intended  to  massacre  that  officer  and 
all  the  garrison,  a  number  of  warriors  went  to  the 
French  blacksmith  and  had  their  gun  barrels  filed 
off,  so  as  to  permit  of  their  being  hidden  under 
their  blankets.     The  blacksmith  did  not  know  the 


^  PONTlAC,  CHIEF  OP  THE  OTTaWAS. 

significance  of  the  curious  request  made  of  him,  but 
seeing  something  suspicious  in  it,  sent  word  of  the 
occurrence  to  Major  Gladwyn.  That,  and  the  warn- 
ing of  Catherine,  the  Ojibwa  girl,  saved  Detroit 
from  being  wiped  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

It  finally  became  too  dangerous  for  the  French 
settlers  to  send  anything  to  the  garrison.  The 
sagacious  Pontiac  may  have  been  suspicious,  for  he 
passed  through  the  settlement  with  a  keener  eye  than 
usual.  Besides,  as  the  siege  progressed,  he  needed, 
supplies  for  his  own  warriors,  and  procured  many  of 
them  from  the  French  people.  A  singular  fact  was 
connected  with  this  incident.  The  Ottawa  chieftain 
in  all  cases  where  he  took  such  supplies,  gave  his  ^ 
promissory  notes  in  payment.  These  were  scratched 
upon  bark,  and  were  probably  the  first  dealings  of 
that  nature  in  which  an  American  Indian  took  part.  ■ 
Nor  must  we  omit  to  state  that  every  one  of  the 
notes  was  afterward  redeemed  in  full  by  their  maker. 

When  the  flurry  following  the  arrival  of  th^ 
schooner  had  subsided  and  Asher  Norris  had  ex- 
changed greetings  with  most  of  his  acquaintances, 
he  strolled  through  the  palisaded  inclosure,  as  if  he 
had  no  other  object  in  mind  than  to  while  away  time 
and  to  note  the  changes  which,  as  we  have  said, 
were  of  trifling  character.  Such,  we  repeat,  seemed 
to  be  his  purpose,  but  in  truth  his  errand  was  a  defi- 
nite one. 


THE  ABSENT  ONE.  f§ 

Near  the  southeast  bastion  was  the  home  of  Hugh 
Linwood,  his  wife  and  daughter,  Madge,  the  last 
nearly  two  years  younger  than  Asher.  The  couple 
were  so  young  that  the  parents  of  neither  sus- 
pected  the  tender  feeling  that  was  budding  into  life 
on  the  part  of  each.  It  may  be  doubted  whether 
Asher  or  Madge  suspected  it.  Asher  only  knew 
that  the  hazel  eyes,  the  ruddy  cheeks,  the  elastic 
figure,  whose  beautiful  outlines  could  not  be  hidden 
by  the  dress  of  homespun,  the  wealth  of  black  hair, 
the  flashing  teeth,  and  the  sweet,  winsome  disposi- 
tion, were  never,  he  was  confident,  repeated  any- 
where else  in  this  world,  nor  if  repeated  in  the 
future,  could  they  ever  hold  quite  the  charm  for  him 
that  they  did  when  they  glowed  in  the  face,  form, 
and  disposition  of  Madge  Linwood. 

And  as  for  Madge's  views,  why,  no  one  could 
deny  that  Asher  was  the  handsomest,  most  manly, 
the  bravest  and  best  youth  in  Fort  Detroit — aye, 
among  all  the  frontier  posts  and  the  settlements. 
She  had  declared  it  herself  (with  blushes  and  tremu- 
lous eyes),  and  not  one  had  ever  dared  to  say  her 
nay,  for  to  do  so  would  have  been  to  utter  a  dread- 
ful untruth — too  dreadful,  indeed,  for  any  human 
being  to  brave  its  utterance. 

And  so  it  was  that  in  the  most  natural  manner  in 
the  world  Asher  Norris's  footsteps  halted  in  front  of 
Hugh  Linwood 's  cabin.     The  latchstring  was  hang- 


PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 


ing  out,  and,  giving  it  a  gentle  twitch,  the  ponderous 
door  swung  inward,  and  he  stepped  across  the  thres- 
hold with  a  pleasant  greeting  to  husband  and  wife. 
Hugh's  turn  to  go  on  guard  would  not  come  for  two 
or  three  hours.  He  was  sitting  in  his  heavy  chair, 
smoking  his  pipe  and  looking  rather  gloomily  into 
the  wood  fire  burning  on  the  hearth,  while  his  wife 
was  busy  with  her  household  duties. 

The  couple  looked  around  as  the  sunlight  streamed 
over  the  shoulders  and  head  of  the  athletic  youth, 
whose  face  brought  still  more  genial  and  welcome 
sunshine  into  the  homely  room.  Husband  and  wife 
had  witnessed  the  arrival  of  the  schooner,  but,  not 
knowing  that  Asher  was  on  board,  had  returned  to 
their  home  without  staying  to  welcome  the  sur- 
vivors. 

Shaking  hands  with  the  two,  Asher  sat  down  and 
soon  made  them  acquainted  with  his  stirring  experi- 
ence of  the  night  before.  They  listened  with  close 
attention  and  deep  interest,  but  through  it  all  Asher 
plainly  saw  that  the  couple  were  oppressed  by  some 
trouble  of  their  own.  That,  and  the  fact  that 
Madge  was  not  in  sight,  sent  a  chill  of  apprehension 
through  him. 

Nothing  would  have  been  more  natural  than  that 
she  should  be  absent  for  the  moment  with  some 
of  the  neighbors,  for  Madge  was  a  favorite  every- 
where, and  in  case  of  illness  or  trouble  she  was  a 


THE  ABSENT  ONE,  79 

ministering  angel.  Asher  had  hardly  completed  his 
narrative  when  he  looked  sharply  about  the  room 
and  asked : 

"  Where 's  Madge  ? " 

His  alarm  intensified  when  both  of  the  parents 
sighed  and  the  mother  shook  her  head  with  a  sup- 
pressed moan.  The  father  slowly  puffed  at  his  pipe 
and  stared  into  the  glowing  embers,  as  if  his  sorrow' 
was  too  deep  for  utterance.  Asher  wheeled  about 
in  his  chair,  and,  swallowing  a  lump  in  his  throat, 
and  with  a  white,  scared  face,  asked  in  a  husky 
voice : 

••  Is  she  dead?" 

*'  No,  no,  no,"  answered  her  father,  "  but  what  a 
fool  I  have  been ;  what  a  fool  her  mother  was !  Oh, 
why  were  we  so  blind  ?  Woe  is  me  !  Woe  is 
me  !  " 

He  swayed  his  head,  which  sank  low  on  his  breast 
and  sighed  as  if  his  heart  was  breaking. 

* '  But  do  you  not  mean  to  tell  me  ?  Let  me  hear 
the  worst ! ' '  demanded  the  youth  with  tempestuous 
impatience. 

It  seemed  to  strike  the  father  just  then  that  the 
request  of  their  visitor  was  reasonable. 

"  You  know  Pierre  Muire,  who  lives  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  with  his  old  mother,  where  in  truth 
they  have  lived  ever  since  Pierre  was  born  ? " 
Yes;  I  have  known  Pierre  for  years." 


«i 


80  PONT! AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

*'  You  know  how  much  his  feeble  old  mother  loved 
Madge  ?" 

"  Of  course;  every  one  loves  her.  I  have  some- 
times thought  that  Pierre  loved  her  more  than  he 
had  a  right  to." 

The  parents  might  have  noticed  this  declaration, 
prompted  as  it  was  by  a  curious  jealousy,  had  it 
been  uttered  at  any  other  time,  but  it  made  no  im- 
pression upon  them  now. 

"  Well,  Pierre  came  over  and  said  he  was  afraid 
his  mother  was  dying.  She  asked  as  a  last  favor 
that  Madge  might  go  and  see  her.  Madge  was  filled 
with  sorrow,  for  she  tenderly  loved  the  old  lady, 
and,  yielding  to  her  entreaties,  we  allowed  her  to  go 
back  with  Pierre." 

"  When  was  that  ?  " 

"  Two  nights  ago." 

"  Where  is  she  now  ?  " 

"  God  only  knows,"  was  the  heart-broken  reply. 


"WHERE  IS   SHE  NOW?" 


Page  80. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MISSING. 

SUPPRESSING,  so  far  as  he  could,  his  alarm 
and  impatience,  Asher  Norris  pressed  the 
parents  of  Madge  Linwood  for  further  particulars 
of  her  absence.  They  were  not  many  and  wf.e 
speedily  given. 

Enough  has  been  told  to  give  the  reader  a  fair 
idea  of  the  peculiar  situation  of  the  several  hundred 
French  residents,  whose  cabins  lined  the  other  side 
of  the  Detroit  river  for  a  mile  or  more  up  and  down 
stream.  Since  Pontiac  was  making  war  upon  the 
Americans  (or  English,  as  they  were  termed  at  the 
time),  who  were  the  conquerors  of  the  French,  the  lat- 
ter were  looked  upon  as  friends  by  the  hostile  redmen. 

The  French  Canadians  endeavored  on  their  part 
to  maintain  the  position  of  neutrality,  and  it  may  be 
said  that  they  succeeded  to  a  great  extent  in  doing 
so.  Naturally  the  sympathy  of  the  majority  was 
with  those  of  their  own  race,  even  though  the  two 
nations  were  rivals,  and  it  has  been  shown  that  when 
it  was  safe  to  carry  important  information  or  food 
to  the  fort,  the  Frenchmen  were  not  lacking  to  do  it. 

8i 


82  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  among  the 
settlers  were  a  number  who  held  so  consuming  a 
hatred  of  their  masters  that  they  eagerly  helped  the 
cruel  Ottawa  leader.  As  an  illustration,  when  Major 
Dalzell  set  out  some  weeks  before  to  attack  Ponti- 
ac's  camp,  that  chieftain  was  warned  by  some  of  the 
French  of  the  intended  blow.  Thus  apprised,  he 
made  his  preparations  so  complete  that  he  inflicted 
the  most  shocking  massacre  of  the  siege  upon  that 
brave  body  of  men. 

Until  the  surrender  of  Detroit  the  French  (also 
known  as  Canadians)  and  few  American  settlers  were 
on  the  best  of  terms.  They  visited  back  and  forth 
and  intermarriages  took  place.  Madge  Linwood 
was  fond  of  paddling  across  the  river  in  her  small 
canoe  and  spending  days  and  nights  with  her  friends 
on  the  other  shore.  Among  those  to  whom  she 
became  deeply  attached  was  the  aged  Mrs.  Muire, 
who  had  been  a  widow  and  an  invalid  for  several 
years,  and  whose  son  was  considerably  older  than 
Asher  Norris. 

The  siege  naturally  changed  all  this.  It  was  peril- 
ous for  any  American  or  Englishman  to  appear 
among  the  French  settlements,  for  he  was  liable  to 
be  discovered  by  the  hostiles,  who  would  show  him 
scant  mercy.  The  risk  was  less  for  a  Frenchman  to 
visit  Detroit,  for  no  one  there  would  harm  him,  but 
Major  Gladwyn  could  not  make  such  callers  wel- 


MISSING.  83 

come.  It  was  impossible  to  forget  the  lesson  of 
Bloody  Ridge,  and  he  was  always  suspicious  of  these 
persons,  no  matter  how  friendly  they  had  been  in 
the  past.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  he  had  good 
ground  in  many  instances  for  his  misgivings. 

Among  the  very  few  whom  he  fully  trusted  was 
Pierre  Muire.  That  young  man  had  helped  to  bring 
food  to  the  garrison,  and  crossed  the  river  one  night 
in  a  blinding  storm,  to  warn  the  commandant  of 
Pontiac's  intention  of  destroying  both  schooners  by 
means  of  fire  rafts. 

Curious  as  it  may  seem,  the  faith  of  Pontiac  in 
the  young  man  seemed  equally  complete  as  that  of 
Major  Gladwyn.  This  was  proof  of  the  mental 
acuteness  of  the  young  Frenchman.  Appalling 
would  be  the  punishment  of  the  Ottawa  leader 
should  he  learn  the  truth,  while  the  opportunity  to 
administer  such  punishment  was  within  reach.  Such 
was  the  situation  when  Pierre  Muire  paddled  across 
the  river,  being  unhesitatingly  admitted  within  the 
palisades,  made  his  way  to  the  cabin  of  Hugh  Lin- 
wood,  with  the  statement  that  his  mother  was  at  the 
point  of  death,  and  her  last  wish  was  that  she  might 
feel  the  cool,  gentle  pressure  of  Madge's  hand  upon 
I  her  brow  and  the  touch  of  her  sweet  lips  before  she 

passed  away. 

The  request  was  so  pathetic  that  the  parents  were 
hardly  less  touched  than  their  child,  but  in  their 


84  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

sympathy  the  father  did  not  lose  sight  of  prudence 
to  the  complete  extent  that  his  lamentations  to 
Asher  Norris  implied.  He  took  his  visitor  aside 
and  asked  him  whether  it  w^as  safe  for  Madge  to  go 
back  with  him.  She  had  not  been  across  the  river 
since  the  siege  began.  She  was  known  not  only  to 
Pontiac  himself,  but  to  many  of  his  warriors,  and  it 
would  be  characteristic  of  the  race  to  strike  her 
father  through  his  child. 

Pierre  Muire  seemed  to  be  honest  when  he  replied 
th«at  nothing  would  induce  him  knowingly  to  take 
Madge  into  danger.  He  was  the  friend  of  Pontiac, 
or  rather  Pontiac  looked  upon  him  as  such,  and  no 
one  would  dare  harm  him,  or  a  hair  of  the  head  of 
any  of  his  friends. 

So  it  came  about  that  just  as  it  was  growing  dusk, 
Madge  entered  the  canoe  of  Pierre,  who,  swinging 
the  paddle  like  an  Indian,  sent  the  light  craft  skim- 
ming swiftly  toward  the  eastern  bank.  He  had 
promised  that,  no  matter  what  the  condition  of  his 
aged  parent  was,  he  would  return  with  Madge  on 
the  following  night,  at  about  the  same  hour  that  he 
had  left  the  post.  While  he  believed  it  was  safe  for 
him  to  do  this  when  the  sun  was  shining,  he  made 
use  of  the  darkness  as  an  additional  precaution. 

The  second  night  had  come  and  gone,  and  noth- 
ing was  seen  or  a  whisper  heard  of  Madge  or  him 
who  took  her  away. 


* 


MISSING.  8$ 

With  the  passing  of  every  hour  the  misgiving  and 
grief  of  the  couple  increased,  until  they  were  in  the 
depth  of  anguish,  when  Asher  Norris  called  and 
learned  the  truth  from  them. 

Hugh  Linwood  berated  himself  and  wife,  and  she 
did  the  same  in  a  less  degree,  because  they  had  con- 
sented to  the  foolhardy  proposal.  Asher,  in  his  own 
mind,  was  equally  severe  in  condemning  them,  but 
regrets  and  remorse  could  do  no  good.  They  must 
do  something,  or  give  up  and  helplessly  await  the 
issue  of  events. 

The  intolerable  feature  in  the  whole  thing  was 

that  it  looked  as  if  nothing  could  be  accomplished 

to  solve  the  mystery  or  to  help  Madge.     The  most 

hopeful  view  w?,s  that,  after  she  had  reached  the 

Muire  home,  and  was  ready  to  return,  Pierre  had 

found  it  more  dangerous  than  he  suspected,  and  was 

waiting  for  a  better  opportunity.     They  hoped  that 

he  would  present  himself  on  the  coming  night.     If 

he  failed  to  do  so,  utter  despair  would  overwhelm 
them. 

Asher  Norris  did  not  dare  tell  all  the  thoughts 
that  surged  through  his  brain,  for  to  do  so  would 
only  add  to  the  anguish  of  the  stricken  parents. 
Possibly,  after  all,  he  was  wrong.  One  terrible 
thought  was  this : 

"  I  don't  believe  that  old  Mrs.  Muire  is  ill,  or  at 
any  rate  any  more  so  than  she  has  been  for  years. 


86  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

Pierre  has  long  been  in  love  with  Madge.  She 
does  n't  suspect  it,  nor  does  any  one  else  beside 
Pierre  except  myself.  I  have  noticed  his  eyes  when 
he  looked  ready  to  devour  her.  He  has  seen  that 
she  is  fond  of  me,  and  has  made  up  his  mind  that  if 
he  does  n't  get  her  away  pretty  soon  he  will  never 
be  able  to  do  so. 

"  So  he  formed  his  plan.  He  intends  to  take  her 
over  to  his  home,  as  he  has  done,  and  keep  her  there 
under  the  plea  that  there  's  too  much  risk  to  attempt 
to  bring  her  back  for  a  good  while  to  come.    Or 

**  He  started  last  night,  according  to  promise,  and 
has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  with  all 
that  that  implies." 

But  there  lay  the  trouble,  for  the  fact  might  imply 
one  of  several  things.  It  might  be  that  by  some 
means  Pontiac  had  learned  that  Pierre  was  a  spy 
against  him  and  had  seized  and  put  him  to  death. 

It  might  be  that  Pierre  was  really  a  spy  for  Pon- 
tiac, and  was  a  subtle  foe  of  the  garrison  (somehow 
or  other  this  theory  struck  Asher  Norris  as  the  most 
probable),  and  that  the  betrayal  of  Madge  was  part 
of  a  deep-laid  scheme  for  placing  her  in  such  peril 
that  she  would  give  any  pledge  the  Frenchman  asked 
for  the  sake  of  life  and  liberty. 

It  might  be  that  there  was  even  more  behind  all 
this,  which  as  yet  Asher  did  not  grasp;  but  he  could 
not  shut  out  the  belief  that  whatever  the  issue  of  the 


MISSING.  87 

dreadful  business,  the  treachery  and  guilt  of  Pierre 
Muire  would  be  established. 

But  speculation  might  go  on  for  hours,  with  no 
certainty  of  the  truth  being  reached.  The  one  great 
question  was.  What,  if  anything,  could  be  done  to 
help  the  absent  one  ?  Only  one  reasonable  scheme 
presented  itself. 

Jo  Spain,  the  ranger,  spoke  French  like  a  native. 
He  might  visit  the  settlement  in  the  character  of  a 
Frenchman,  and  learn  the  truth.  There  would  be 
considerable  risk,  for  he  would  be  recognized  by 
many  of  the  people  who  knew  him  well,  not  to  men- 
tion Pontiac  and  a  number  of  warriors.  If  Pierre 
Muire  should  prove  a  true  friend  he  would  give  the 
ranger  shelter ;  but  if  an  enemy,  there  would  be  a 
speedy  end  to  the  adventurous  career  of  the  scout. 

"  I  have  been  figuring  ever  since  morning,"  said 
Hugh  Linwood,  after  Asher  had  made  known  his 
plan  of  intrusting  the  work  to  Jo  Spain,  "  what  it 
was  I  could  do  to  help  Madge.  It  *s  hard  to  restrain 
myself  from  jumping  into  one  of  the  boats  and  pad- 
dling across  the  river  to  Muire's  house." 

' '  And  you  could  do  nothing  worse ;  you  are  known 
to  every  one  there  as  a  member  of  the  garrison,  and 
your  life  would  n't  be  worth  a  minute's  purchase. ' ' 

"  I  suppose  so,  and  it  is  the  same  with  you." 

Unconsciously  the  parent  touched  a  sensitive 
chord,  for  in  and  out  of  the  thoughts  of  Asher  Nor- 


88  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

ris  ran  the  question  whether  it  was  not  possible  for 
him  to  strike  a  blow  for  the  one  who  seemed  to 
become  tenfold  dearer  now  that  she  was  lost.  It 
would  be  folly  for  him  to  try  to  figure  out  that  there 
was  hope  for  him  and  none  for  the  elder  man.  All 
the  same,  however,  he  disliked  to  be  reminded  thus 
forcibly  of  the  truth. 

"  Jo  won't  hesitate,  when  the  situation  is  told  to 
him,"  said  Asher.  "  Do  my  father  and  mother 
know  anything  about  it  ?  " 

"  They  have  learned  nothing  from  me." 

"  It  's  as  well;  Jo  can't  make  any  move  before 
night,  and  I  suppose  he  will  want  to  meet  lots  of  his 
friends  before  he  goes. 

Asher  saw  that  neither  of  the  parents  suspected 
Pierre  Muire  of  any  wrong  intention,  and  he  was 
wise  in  deciding  not  to  raise  any  doubt  in  their 
minds,  for  it  could  do  no  good  and  would  only  add 
to  their  anguish.  It  would  be  time  enough  for 
them  to  know  the  truth  when  it  could  not  be  hidden 
any  longer. 

When  it  came  time  for  Linwood  to  resume  mili- 
tary duty,  Asher  accompanied  him  from  his  house, 
while  the  wife  went  to  visit  a  sympathizing  neighbor. 

Captain  Jacobs  had  made  bis  report  to  Major 
Gladwyn,  and  the  powder  and  few  supplies  were 
stowed  away  beyond  the  reach  of  the  hostiles  clam- 
oring for  the  lives  of  the  defiant  garrison.     Sorrow- 


Missmc.  89 

ing  over  the  deaths  of  Captain  Horst  and  one  of  the 
crew,  there  was  rejoicing  because  of  the  decisive 
repulse  of  the  assailants  and  the  heavy  loss  inflicted 
upon  them. 

Just  as  Asher  Norris  reached  his  own  threshold, 
he  received  word  that  Major  Gladwyn  wished  to  see 
him.  The  youth  lost  no  time  in  repairing  to  the 
quarters  of  the  commandant,  wondering  what  the 
business  could  be. 

The  officer  merely  wished  to  hear  Asher's  account 
of  his  visit  to  Fighting  Island  during  the  previous 
evening. 

"  Spain  has  told  me  what  he  discovered  on  the 
western  shore  and  given  me  your  account  of  what 
you  observed  on  the  eastern  bank,  which  happened 
to  be  an  island,  but  to  make  sure  there  is  no  mistake 
I  will  be  obliged  if  I  can  hear  it  from  your  lips." 

The  young  man  told  the  story  with  which  the 
reader  has  long  since  become  familiar,  the  officer 
listening  with  close  attention. 

"  What  strikes  me  as  curious,  is  that  all  the  Ind- 
ians seen  by  you  and  Spain  were  less  than  a  quarter 
of  those  that  attacked  the  schooner. ' ' 

"  I  should  say  hardly  one-sixth." 

"  And  yet  you  saw  and  recognized  Pontiac 
haranguing  his  warriors.  You  would  suppose  that 
he  would  have  had  all  who  were  on  that  side  of  the 
river  gathered  round  him. ' ' 


/ 


,/ 


90  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

"  I  was  sure  of  it  at  the  time,  but  was  mistaken." 

"  And  the  Iroquois,  whom  you  were  foolish 
enough  to  set  ashore,  were  among  the  fiercest  of 
your  assailants.  It  might  have  been  expected.  I 
hope  Spain  will  bring  back  some  more  valuable  in- 
formation." 

"  Has  he  left  the  post  ?" 

"  He  left  about  an  hour  ago." 

"  How  long  will  he  be  gone  ?  " 

*  Not  even  he  can  say,  but  it  will  be  for  several 
days— perhaps  for  a  week  and  possibly  longer,  for 
his  errand  is  a  very  important  one." 


t    \    I  '>■■ ; 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  KNIGHT  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

IT  was  with  strange  emotions  that  Asher  Norris 
*  heard  from  Major  Gladwyn  the  announcement 
that  Jo  Spain,  the  ranger,  had  left  the  post  to 
be  gone  for  a  number  of  days.  His  feelings  were 
not  wholly  of  disappointment,  for  until  then  he  had 
forced  himself  to  believe  that  he  was  to  bear  no 
hand  in  the  rescue  of  Madge  Linwood— a  belief 
which  the  reader  will  understand  was  a  torturing  one 
to  him. 

"Heaven  intends  that  the  work  shall  be  done  by 
me,"  was  his  reflection,  and  despite  the  almost  hope- 
less prospect,  he  experienced  a  curious  revival  of 
spirits  at  the  certainty  that  he  was  not  to  remain 
idle  while  she  was  in  such  imminent  peril. 

"  I  shall  not  sleep  day  or  night  until  she  is  with 
her  friends  again." 

All  this  we  say  was  commendable  and  natural,  but 
with  "  sober  second  thought,"  his  enthusiasm  suf- 
fered a  dampening.  It  is  easy  for  any  person  to 
form  a  resolution,  but  it  is  altogether  another  thing 
to  carry  it  out.     Having  formed  the  determination, 

9» 


g9^^        PONT/AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS, 

i^  however,  he  meant  that  nothing  should  interfere 
with  it. 

He  expected  the  first  real  trouble  would  be  the 
opposition  of  his  parents,  but  to  his  surprise  and 
gratification,  both  father  and  mother  commended 
his  decision. 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  Jo  is  gone  beyond  recall,"  said 
his  father,  **  but  it  would  be  a  still  greater  pity  to 
leave  Madge,  ^vithout  a  person  at  the  fort  to  raise 
his  hand  in  her  behalf.  Go,  my  boy,  and  the  bless- 
ing of  God  go  with  you." 

He  was  sure  of  a  similar  Godspeed  from  the 
parents  of  Madge,  but  there  again  he  was  disap- 
pointed. While  praising  his  chivalry,  the  couple 
pronounced  it  worse  than  hopeless,  insisting  that 
Asher  would  simply  place  himself  in  the  greatest 
danger  without  being  able  to  help,  in  the  slightest 
degree,  t  a  missing  one.  The  young  man  would 
not  allow  their  despair  to  affect  his  resolution,  but 
he  agreed  to  wait  until  the  night  was  well  on  before 
leaving  the  post.  If  Pierre  Muire  came  back  with 
Madge,  he  would  be  due  shortly  after  dark. 

Asher  restrained  his  impatience  until  an  hour  after 
the  time  set,  when  he  bade  his  friends  good-by  and 
hurriedly  left  the  post,  to  enter  upon  the  most 
remarkable  experience  of  his  life. 

None  knew  better  than  he  the  location  of  Pierre 
Muire's  home.     It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 


THE  KNIGHT  TO   THE  RESCUE,  93 

long,  thin  line  of  French  cabins  extended  along  the 
eastern  or  opposite  side  of  the  river,  from  a  point 
considerably  above  the  fort  to  a  point  still  farther 
down  stream.  Pierre  lived  near  the  upper  end  of 
the  settlement,  close  to  the  Ottawa  camp,  directly 
behind  it.  Since  Pontiac  spent  most  of  his  time 
with  his  tribe,  the  youth  would  be  compelled  to 
approach  close  to  his  headquarters,  and  would  run 
much  risk  of  being  seen  and  recognized  by  some  of 
the  warj.ors,  if  not  by  the  terrible  chieftain  himself. 

Instead  of  crossing  the  river  directly  from  the 
fort,  Norris  entered  his  small  canoe,  which  he  was 
able  to  handle  with  the  skill  of  an  Ottawa  or  Ojib- 
wa,  and  worked  his  way  up  the  western  bank,  keep- 
ing close  to  the  overhanging  undergrowth,  where,  if 
hard  pressed,  he  could  leap  to  land  and  take  advan- 
tage of  the  secure  hiding  offered.  At  the  distance 
of  barely  a  fourth  of  a  mile  was  a  small  island  lying 
near  the  eastern  bank.  By  landing  just  below  this 
island  he  would  be  almost  among  the  settlers  and 
within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  home  of  Pierre  Muire. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  his  purpose  was  to  take 
up  the  search  for  Madge  at  the  house  which  was 
her  destination  Tf  she  were  not  still  there,  some  of 
the  neighbors  would  be  able  to  give  him  the  informa- 
tion necessary  to  push  his  search.  He  hoped,  but 
hardly  believed,  that  he  would  find  the  missing  one 
in  the  cabin.     With  his  judgment  warped  by  jeaU 


94  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

ousy,  he  partly  suspected  that  Pierre  had  persuaded 
Madge  to  overstay  her  time.  It  might  be  that  his 
mother  was  so  critically  ill  that  the  sympathetic  girl 
was  induced  to  remain  longer  with  her,  though  to 
the  ardent  rescuer  the  conduct  of  Pierre  Muire  was 
beyond  excuse  or  palliation. 

In  a  short  time  the  point  was  reached  where 
Asher  intended  to  turn  the  bow  of  his  boat  out  into 
the  channel  and  paddle  for  the  eastern  bank.  When 
ready  to  make  the  start  he  held  the  frail  craft  mo- 
tionless, and  with  suspended  paddle  listened  and 
peered  around  him  into  the  all-enveloping  gloom. 

The  night  was  similar  in  several  respects  to  the 
preceding  one.  It  was  close  and  sultry,  with  masses 
of  clouds  drifting  across  the  sky  and  partly  shading 
the  rays  of  the  moon,  though  not  to  the  same 
extent  as  before.  This  rendered  the  light  treacher- 
ous and  uncertain.  At  times  his  keen  vision  was 
able  to  penetrate  for  fifty  yards  over  the  still  water, 
and  then,  a  few  minutes  later,  he  could  see  little 
more  than  the  length  of  his  canoe. 

Looking  across  the  river  the  lights  in  the  cabins 
of  the  French  settlers  twinkled  like  stars  low  in  the 
horizon,  but  it  was  blank  darkness  everywhere  else. 
The  palisades  at  Detroit  were  shut  out  by  the  inter- 
vening vegetation,  and  all  seemed  as  gloomy,  de- 
serted, and  silent  as  the  tomb;  nevertheless  those 
sentinels  had  learned  through  the  past  months  by 


THE  KNIGHT  TO    THE  RESCUE.  95 

dear  experience  the  need  of  vigilance.  The  dusky 
scout  could  not  steal  up  to  the  palisades  to  do  harm 
without  detection,  and  darkness  offered  no  safer 
opportunity  for  attack  than  when  the  sun  was  at 
meridian. 

The  sounds  that  reached  his  ears  served  but  to 
render  the  stillness  more  oppressive.  The  cry  of  the 
nighthawk,  the  whirr  of  a  bird's  wings  as  it  shot 
past  his  boat,  so  near  that  he  could  have  struck  it 
with  his  paddle,  the  cry  of  the  fox  and  wolf,  the  call 
of  some  man  on  the  other  bank  to  his  neighbor,  the 
soft  murmur  of  the  river,  as  it  flowed  onward  on  its 
long  journey  to  the  sea,  the  ripple  of  the  current 
around  a  projecting  root  or  dipping  limb — all  these 
were  familiar,  but  this  time  they  seemed  a  part  of 
the  "  voice  of  silence  "  itself. 

Asher  was  poised  thus,  with  paddle  balanced  in 
his  two  strong  hands,  when  a  shiver  suddenly  passed 
through  him,  for  barely  ten  feet  distant,  close  to 
the  bank  behind  him,  sounded  a  loud  splash,  as  if  a 
man  had  plunged  into  the  water  and  was  swimming 
swiftly  toward  him.  Like  a  flash  Asher  laid  his 
padd'e  in  the  canoe  and  caught  up  his  rifle. 

The  noise  in  the  water  showed  that,  whatever 
it  was  that  had  made  the  plunge,  it  was  coming 
straight  toward  the  canoe.  Fortunately,  before  the 
brief  distance  was  passed  the  moon  came  out  from 
behind  the  obscuring  clouds  and  revealed  that,  in- 


96  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

stead  of  a  man,  it  was  a  huge  bear  that  had  set  out 
to  swim  across  the  river. 

Since  the  canoe  was  directly  in  the  brute's  course, 
and  he  showed  no  disposition  to  turn  out  for  it, 
Norris  dropped  his  gun  and  took  up  his  paddle 
again.  One  sweep  was  sufficient  to  send  the  craft 
several  yards  down  stream,  when  he  checked  its 
progress  and  gave  his  attention  once  more  to  the 
bear. 

C  >nously  enough,  the  latter  also  changed  his 
course,  and  headed  for  the  canoe  and  man,  as  if 
anxious  to  make  a  closer  acquaintance.  It  would 
have  been  easy  for  the  youth  to  send  a  bullet 
through  his  brain,  or  by  using  his  paddle,  keep  be- 
yond reach  of  the  clumsy  animal.  But  he  did 
neither.  Waiting  until  he  was  almost  at  his  side, 
and  ready  to  thrust  one  of  his  enormous  paws  upon 
the  gunwale  of  the  canoe  and  overturn  it,  Norris 
raised  the  paddle  aloft  and  brought  down  the  end 
with  a  resounding  whack  upon  the  head  of  the  bear. 

The  latter  must  have  been  astonished.  With  a 
whiffing  snort  he  swung  round  in  the  water,  and 
instead  of  continuing  across  the  river,  made  all  haste 
to  return  to  the  shore  which  he  had  left  but  a  few 
minutes  before.  Norris  heard  him  climb  up  the 
steep  bank  and  shake  his  shaggy  coat,  after  which 
he  crashed  off  through  the  undergrowth. 

Asher's  reluctance  to  using  his  gun  was  the  fear 


THE  KNIGHT  TO    THE  RESCUE,  97 

that  the  brute  was  fleeing  from  some  pursuer  that 
was  close  upon  him.  The  report,  beside  directing 
attention  to  himself,  would  leave  the  youth  unpre- 
pared against  the  attack  likely  to  follow ;  but  the 
return  of  the  bear  to  the  point  whence  he  came 
showed  that  he  had  not  been  escaping  from  an 
enemy,  since  the  blow  from  the  paddle  would  not 
have  been  likely  so  to  obfuscate  his  soggy  brain  as 
to  cause  him  to  forget  that  important  fact. 

In  obedience,  however,  to  that  habit  of  caution, 
most  of  vhich  had  been  taught  him  by  his  uncle, 
Asher  propelled  the  canoe  a  little  farther  up  stream, 
when  he  again  held  it  motionless,  while  he  listened 
and  looked  around  for  other  evidence  of  danger. 

None  appeared,  and  he  yielded  to  the  feeling  of 
impatience,  which  had  hardly  been  absent  since 
leaving  the  post.  Silently  but  swiftly  he  drove  the 
boat  across  the  river,  heading  slightly  upward,  so  as 
to  allow  for  the  current.  The  twinkling  lights  on 
the  other  shore  furnished  guidance,  but  he  would 
have  found  no  difficulty  had  they  been  absent,  since 
the  dim  light  of  the  moon  was  suflficient  to  show 
him  the  way  that  had  been  familiar  for  many  years. 

But,  as  he  neared  the  eastern  bank,  he  slackened 
his  speed,  for  every  stroke  took  him  closer  to 
danger.  It  would  not  be  strange  if  some  of  the 
Ottawas  were  passing  in  and  out  of  the  settlement, 
and  possibly  Pontiac  himself  was  at  the  very  spot 


98  PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

he  had  selected  for  a  landing  place.  In  obedience 
to  an  increasing  misgiving,  Norris  headed  up 
stream,  intending  to  land  at  the  upper  extremity  of 
the  settlement. 

It  was  at  this  critical  juncture  that  the  listening 
ear  caught  the  sound  of  paddles  in  the  water.  The 
fact  that  he  was  able  to  hear  them  proved  that  who- 
ever occupied  the  boat  was  moving  carelessly,  as  if 
there  was  no  cause  for  fear.  Some  one  had  left  the 
shore  near  the  place  which  he  had  selected  for  land- 
ing, and,  judging  from  the  sounds,  was  making  for 
the  western  bank. 

Thus  far  the  young  man  had  learned  from  his 
sense  of  hearing  only.  The  other  boat  was  above 
him,  and  farther  out  in  the  stream.  It  had  several 
occupants,  as  was  shown  by  the  noise  of  the  pad- 
dles. Suddenly  two  tiny  points  of  light  appeared, 
and,  at  the  same  moment,  he  caught  the  smell  of 
burning  tobacco.  Two  of  the  men  in  the  boat  were 
smoking — another  proof  of  their  belief  that  there 
was  no  cause  for  alarm. 

These  men  might  be  Canadians,  or  they  might  be 
Indians.  The  only  safe  course  was  to  accept  them 
as  enemies,  and  Asher  Norris  did  a  thing  which  Jo 
Spain  would  have  complimented  had  he  witnessed 
it.  Glancing  up  at  the  sky,  he  saw  that  at  that 
moment  the  moon  was  emerging  from  a  straggling 
mass  of  vapor.     Already  its  reflection  on  the  water 


THE  KNIGHT  TO    THE  RESCUE,  99 

was  increasing.  A  few  seconds  more  and  he  was 
certain  to  be  detected.  With  one  silent  sweep  of 
the  paddle  he  caused  the  canoe  to  dart  like  a  swallow 
under  into  the  ribbon  of  shadow  which  followed 
the  windings  of  the  shore. 

This  screened  him  from  view  while  it  revealed  the 
larger  boat  jo  distinctly  that  he  saw  that  it  contained 
four  persons,  three  of  whom  were  swinging  and 
swaying  their  paddles  in  true  Indian  fashion.  It 
was  the  two  at  the  rear  that  were  smoking,  but  the 
obscurity  prevented  his  distinguishing  whether  they 
were  red  or  white  men. 

Again  the  sense  of  hearing  came  to  his  relief. 
One  of  the  occupants  spoke  and  another  replied. 
The  guttural  grunt  in  each  case  removed  the  last 
doubt.     The  four  were  Indians. 

While  so  near  the  eastern  bank,  where  there  was 
no  cause  for  fear,  it  was  not  strange  that  two  of 
these  warriors  indulged  their  taste  for  smoking,  that 
three  used  their  paddles  carelessly,  and  that  they 
did  not  hesitate  to  speak  in  their  natural  tones. 
But  before  the  canoe  sighted  the  western  bank 
those  pipes  would  be  extinguished,  the  paddles 
would  sway  back  and  forth  with  the  noiselessness 
of  the  seafowl  fanning  the  thin  air  miles  above  the 
earth,  and  not  a  sound  would  come  from  the  dusky 
lips.  Where  they  were  going  and  what  was  their 
errand  was  more  than  Asher  Norris  could  conjecture, 


lOO         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

and  he  did  not  make  the  effort.  He  had  enough  on 
his  hands  without  giving  thought  to  that.  He  com- 
prehended one  thing :  he  had  met  with  an  exceed- 
ingly narrow  escape,  for  had  he  been  seen  the 
others  beyond  a  doubt  would  have  called  him  to 
account. 

But  Norris  was  now  at  the  end  of  his  voyage.  He 
groped  his  way  along  the  bank  for  a  few  rods,  listen- 
ing and  using  his  eyes  as  best  he  could,  until  he  felt 
it  useless  to  go  farther.  So  he  turned  the  prow 
of  his  canoe  abruptly  to  the  right,  and  drove  the 
nose  hard  against  the  bank.  Then  stepping  lightly 
forth,  he  drew  it  so  far  out  of  the  water  that 
there  was  no  danger  of  its  being  carried  away  by 
the  current. 

At  last  he  had  reached  the  settlement,  and  was 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  home  of  Pierre  Muire. 


i,rt 


CHAPTER   XI. 

FRIEND    OR    FOE? 

THE  time  had  passed  for  caution.  To  crouch 
or  endeavor  to  steal  forward  without  attracting 
notice  was  the  surest  way  to  attract  it.  Asher 
Norris  must  conduct   himself  as  if  among  friends. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  nature  of  a  street  to  dis- 
tinguish the  French  settlement  that  stretched  along 
the  eastern  bank  of  Detroit  river  and  contained 
several  hundred  people.  All  the  cabins  faced  the 
water.  There  was  the  blacksmith  shop,  the  trader's 
store,  a  small  Catholic  chapel,  and  other  structures 
at  varying  distances  apart.  Most  of  the  houses  were 
surrounded  by  patches  of  crudely  tilled  ground, 
while  here  and  there  a  couple  of  buildings  almost 
touched  each  other.  Numerous  canoes  resting 
against  the  bank  showed  how  accustomed  the  inhab- 
itants  were  to  the  water,  from  which  they  drew  an 
important  source  of  supply,  though  most  of  the  men 
were  voyageurs,  trappers,  and  hunters,  who  were 
absent  from  home  in  the  far-away  forests  for  weeks 
and  months  at  a  time. 

They  lived  in  the  primitive  fashion  of  the  early 

xoi 


102         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

pioneers,  skins  and  furs  forming  the  principal  part 
of  their  garments,  though  with  some  there  was  a 
pretence  to  linen  and  woollen  goods.  Many  of 
the  cabins  contained  spinning-wheels,  and  there 
were  numerous  cattle,  fowl,  and  domestic  animals. 
Although  in  still  earlier  days  oiled  paper  served  for 
window-panes,  there  was  no  lack  of  glass  at  this 
French  settlement,  but  the  fire  which  burned  on  the 
hearth  at  night,  even  during  the  warm  weather,  gave 
the  only  illumination  of  the  interior. 

Because  of  the  sultriness  of  the  weather,  most  of 
the  front  doors  were  open,  so  that  the  light  was 
thrown  in  front  of  the  dwellings  and  across  the 
winding  path  which  led  in  front  of  them,  and  which 
Asher  Norris  was  now  following. 

He  was  not  the  only  one  moving  about.  The 
hour  was  so  late  that  most  of  the  children  were  in 
bed,  and  the  dogs,  of  which  there  were  plenty,  paid 
no  heed  to  him.  Since  he  was  dressed  like  the 
Canadians  and  conducted  himself  like  them,  it  is 
probable  that  in  the  obscurity  the  canines  took  him 
for  a  friend. 

Sauntering  forward  seemingly  in  an  indifferent 
manner,  the  visitor  was  on  the  alert  and  allowed 
nothing  to  escape  his  vision.  He  had  but  a  few 
paces  to  go  when  he  arrived  opposite  the  Muire 
home.  As  he  did  so,  he  stopped  short,  with  an 
involuntary  exclamation.      It  was  as  dark  as  the 


FRIEND  OR  FOEt  IO3 

tomb.  He  caught  the  murmur  of  voices  from  with- 
in, though  the  sound  was  heard  only  at  slight  inter- 
vals, as  if  people  were  holding  partial  converse. 

While  he  stood  in  perplexity  he  heard  a  footstep 
behind  him.  The  sky  at  that  moment  cleared,  and, 
aided  by  the  light  from  the  nearest  house  at  the 
rear,  he  saw  as  he  turned  his  head  that  the  one  so 
near  him  was  a  Canadian. 

**  Heavens  !  is  that  you,  Norris  ? "  he  asked  in  a 
scared  undertone. 

Asher  recognized  the  speaker  as  Jean  Chotean, 
who  had  visited  the  post  several  times,  but  of  whose 
loyalty  both  he  and  Major  Gladwyn  were  suspicious. 

"  Yes,  Jean,  it  is  I ;  I  hope  you  are  well,"  replied 
Norris,  unconsciously  lowering  his  voice. 

"  Why  do  you  come  here  ?  Don't  you  know  the 
danger  ?  *  * 

*  *  I  know  there  are  some  places  safer.  * ' 

"  There  could  n't  be  any  more  dangerous;  Pon- 
tiac  gave  orders  yesterday  that  every  Englishman 
found  on  this  side  of  the  river  should  be  killed,  no 
matter  if  he  were  sitting  at  one  of  our  tables.  He 
said  if  any  of  us  saw  a  white  man  from  the  fort  and 
failed  to  kill  or  make  him  prisoner,  he  would  slay 
the  one  that  dared  disobey  his  command." 

"  Well,  Jean,  I  am  here;  I  suppose  you  must  do 
your  duty." 

"  If  you  mean  by  that  that  I  shall  betray  you, 


104         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAIVAS. 

you  are  mistaken ;  but  let  me  entreat  you  to  get 
away  without  a  minute's  delay." 

"  I  shall  not  stay  longer  than  necessary;  but,  tell 
me,  Jean,  why  is  Pierre  Muire's  house  dark  and 
closed  ?" 

**  Have  n't  you  heard  ?  No;  how  could  you  ? 
His  mother  is  dead." 

"  Dead  !  when  did  she  die  ?"  asked  the  aston- 
ished Asher. 

"  This  morning,  shortly  after  daybreak.'* 

"  Where  is  Pierre  ?  " 

"  Nobody  knows." 

The  Canadian  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  partly 
spread  out  his  palms,  as  many  Frenchmen  do,  for 
he  carried  no  rifle  with  him. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? " 

**  Ah!  Pierre  loved  his  mother — no  son  ever  loved 
mother  more.  He  has  been  crazed  by  his  grief;  he 
has  gone  nobody  can  say  where.  He  may  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  river ;  he  may  have  stood  at  the  muz- 
zle of  his  gun  and  kicked  the  trigger  with  his  foot — 
who  shall  say  ?  We  shall  never  see  him  again,  of 
that  I  am  assured." 

"  When  did  he  leave  ?  " 

**  Last  night  !  he  had  with  him  the  daughter  of 
Hugh  Linwood,  the  beauteous  and  charming  Madge. 
He  brought  her  over  to  cheer  his  mother  in  her  last 
moments,  but  he  had  promised  to  take  her  home. 


FRIEND  OR  FOE?  10$ 

and  he  set  out  to  do  so,  when  it  was  hardly  dark, 
and  he  has  not  been  seen  at  his  home  since 
then." 

"  Then  he  was  not  with  his  mother  when  she 
passed  away  ?  " 

"  Alas!  how  could  he  be,  when  she  lingered  until 
this  morning,  but  it  made  no  difference  to  the  good 
woman." 

"  And  why  not  ?" 

**  Her  senses  were  gone — she  knew  no  one,  not 
even  the  priest  that  shrived  her — so  it  was  well," 
and  Jean  Chotean  piously  crossed  himself. 

"  And  those  are  neighbors  inside  the  house,  keep- 
ing watch  with  the  body." 

"  You  are  right;  she  is  to  be  buried  to-morrow." 

"  Whether  or  not  her  son  returns  ?  " 

"  Have  I  not  told  you  that  the  son  will  never 
return.     He  is  dead." 

"  You  have  no  right  to  say  that,  unless  you  speak 
of  your  own  knowledge." 

Jean  seemed  on  the  point  of  making  some  remark, 
but  checked  himself  and  shrugged  his  shoulders 
again  and  held  his  peace. 

"  But  if  he  is  dead,  what  has  become  of  Madge 
Linwood,  who  went  away  in  his  canoe  with  him  ?  " 
asked  the  distracted  Asher  Norris. 

The  answer  of  the  Canadian  was  another  shrug  of 
the  shoulders.     If  he  possessed  knowledge  of  the 


I06         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

missing  one — and  Asher  believed  that  he  did  possess 
such  knowledge — he  was  holding  it  back.  The  im- 
patient young  man  felt  like  throttling  him  and  forc- 
ing the  secret  from  his  lips,  but  prudence  forbade. 

Standing  in  the  dim  light  of  the  moon,  Asher 
noted  something  peculiar  in  the  action  and  manner 
of  Jean.  Naturally  the  two  faced  each  other,  but 
Jean,  while  often  looking  into  his  face,  kept  glanc- 
ing across  in  the  direction  of  the  fringe  of  wood  and 
undergrowth  that  lined  the  river,  as  if  something  in 
that  direction  specially  interested  him.  Asher  also 
turned  his  head,  and  caught  the  dim  outline  of  a 
man's  figure,  standing  as  motionless  as  a  statue, 
evidently  with  his  attention  fixed  upon  the  Ameri- 
can and  Canadian. 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  asked  Asher,  in  an  undertone. 

Without  inquiring  as  to  whom  was  meant,  Jean 
Chotean  answered : 

"  He  is  Jacques  Faire,  a  neighbor." 

The  man  was  too  faintly  shown  for  young  Norris 
to  make  sure  whether  this  was  the  truth,  but  he 
suspected  that  instead  of  a  Canadian  the  other  was 
an  Indian,  whose  keen  vision  had  roused  a  suspicion 
of  Asher's  identity,  if  indeed  he  had  not  already 
learned  that  he  was  an  American  from  the  other  side 
of  the  river. 

Jean  spoke  with  sudden  excitement : 

"  You  are  in  greater  danger  than  you  think ;  you 


FRIEND  OR  FOE?  \0f 

have  waited  too  long,  my  friend  Asher ;  you  cannot 
escape  from  the  settlement." 

"  I  would  like  to  know  who  will  hinder  me," 
demanded  the  youth,  his  combative  nature  fully 
roused. 

"  The  Ottawas  have  found  out  that  you  are  here; 
if  you  try  to  leave  they  will  make  you  prisoner; 
you  know  what  that  means." 

"  But  I  am  not  a  prisoner  yet  !  " 

He  was  about  to  move  away,  when  Jean  seized 
his  arm. 

*'  Come  with  me  ;  don't  hesitate  ;  don't  look 
around ;  walk  fast,  or  you  are  lost. ' ' 

Before  the  youth  had  time  to  collect  his  thoughts 
he  was  walking  rapidly,  his  guide  still  holding  his 
arm  with  nervous  grip.  They  passed  in  front  of 
Pierre  Muire's  house,  and  still  following  the  wind- 
ing path  which  answered  for  a  street,  left  three  other 
cabins  behind  them,  when  the  guide  abruptly  turned 
to  the  left,  stepped  upon  a  low  wooden  porch  and 
shoved  open  a  door,  into  which  he  pushed  Asher, 
with  himself  closely  behind  him. 

The  room  which  they  had  entered  was  similar  to 
the  main  apartment  of  most  of  the  houses  in  the 
Canadian  settlement.  It  occupied  the  whole  lower 
floor,  v/hich  was  the  living  room  of  the  house. 
There  were  a  table,  a  few  wooden  chairs,  several 
cheap  pictures  on  the  walls,  scant  furniture,  and  a 


I08         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

fire  burning  on  the  hearth.  With  the  door  closed 
and  the  sultry  night,  the  air  inside  was  insufferably 
close. 

The  only  occupant  of  this  room,  when  the  two 
hurriedly  entered,  was  the  wife  of  Jean  Chotean,  a 
plain,  coarse  woman  in  middle  life.  She  was  in 
the  act  of  crossing  the  apartment  to  attend  to  some 
household  duty,  when  she  halted  and  turned  won- 
deringly  toward  the  two.  Her  husband  said  some- 
thing in  French  by  way  of  explanation.  Asher, 
who  had  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  tongue, 
did  not  catch  its  meaning,  but  it  seemed  to  satisfy 
the  woman,  who  nodded  her  head,  turned  slowly  to 
the  nearest  chair,  deliberately  sat  down  and  folded 
her  hands  in  her  lap,  like  a  pattern  of  the  meek, 
submissive  wife. 

Meantime,  Jean  Chotean  was  not  idle.  Turning 
about,  he  deftly  drew  in  the  latch  string.  While 
this  locked  the  cumbrous  door,  he  was  not  satisfied. 
The  heavy  wooden  bar  was  lifted  from  where  it 
leaned  against  the  log  wall  and  slipped  into  place 
across  the  door,  which  was  now  secured  so  firmly 
that  nothing  less  than  a  battering  ram  was  sufficient 
to  drive  it  inward. 

Hardly  was  this  done,  when  some  one  on  the  out- 
side struck  the  door  several  resounding  knocks, 
though  no  words  were  spoken. 

The  reflection  of  the  firelight  on  the  face  of  the 


FRIEND   OR  FOE?  IO9 

Canadian  showed  that  he  was  scared,  and  for  the 
moment  "  rattled."  He  glanced  hurriedly  around, 
as  if  seeking  some  way  out  of  a  bad  dilemma. 
Asher  Norris,  believing  they  were  about  to  be 
attacked,  grasped  his  rifle  more  firmly,  and  pointed 
to  where  Jean's  weapon  was  suspended  on  a  couple 
of  deer's  antlers  over  the  fireplace. 

"  You  take  your  gun,  Jean,  and  we  'U  fight  them 
all." 

"  No,  no,  no!"  replied  the  host,  more  agitated 
than  ever;  "  it  will  be  the  death  of  us  both.  Run 
up  there  !  " 

He  pointed  to  the  sloping  ladder  which  led  to  the 
upper  story,  and  Asher,  who  from  the  singular  turn 
that  matters  had  taken  was  unable  to  think  clearly, 
ran  nimbly  up  the  ladder  into  the  dim  room  above. 

The  next  moment  he  felt  that  he  had  done  a  fool- 
ish thing,  equivalent  to  stepping  into  the  mouth  of 
a  pit  yawning  before  him.  Had  he  remained  on  the 
lower  floor  he  would  have  been  able  to  make  a 
staunch  fight,  with  the  chance  of  reaching  the  out- 
side at  some  favorable  moment,  but  now  all  such 
hope  was  gone. 

His  familiarity  with  the  construction  of  the  Cana- 
dian houses  told  him  that  there  were  two  apart- 
ments above  stairs,  mainly  used  at  night.  Each 
was  lighted  by  two  small  windows,  which  were  so 
narrow  that  no  man  could  force  his  body  through 


no         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

them.  It  was  the  same  with  the  windows  on  the 
lower  floor,  such  being  the  custom  of  pioneers,  who 
meant  the  openings  to  serve  for  light  and  for  port- 
holes, but  never  to  admit  an  enemy. 

The  top  of  the  ladder  projected  a  couple  of  feet 
above  the  upper  level.  Asher  stepped  out  upon  the 
rough,  puncheon  floor,  but  made  no  attempt  at 
investigation.  He  was  too  much  interested  in  what 
was  occurring  below.  Standing  close  to  the  open- 
ing, he  listened. 

The  vigorous  knocking  was  renewed.  Indeed  it 
had  not  ceased,  and  the  man  or  men  on  the  outside 
were  losing  patience.  An  angry  voice  demanded 
admittance,  and  Jean  Chotean,  as  if  frightened  out 
of  his  senses,  now  unbarred  the  door.  The  next 
moment  the  visitor  stepped  inside. 

As  he  did  so  he  spoke,  and  one  sound  of  his  voice 
was  sufficient  for  Asher  Norris  to  identify  him  as  an 
Ottawa  Indian. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON  THE    river's   MARGIN. 

TO  Asher  Norris,  standing  at  the  head  of  the 
ladder,    there   was   but    one    explanation   of 
these  singular  incidents. 

Despite  the  declaration  of  Jean  Chotean,  the 
Frenchman,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  while  the 
two  were  talking  in  front  of  the  house  of  Pierre 
Muire,  they  had  attracted  the  notice  of  one  of  the 
hostiles  prowling  through  the  settlement.  With  his 
finely  trained  faculties  he  identified  the  man  con- 
versing with  the  Canadian,  and  with  the  hatred  of  his 

leader  Pontiac  determined  to  encompass  his  death. 
It  was  charitable  to  believe  that  Jean  wished  to 

save  the  American,  though  it  was  also  possible  that 
his  warning  was  meant  to  start  him  at  once  on  his 
flight,  so  that  the  Canadian  might  get  the  matter  off 
his  hands,  and  leave  to  others  the  settlement  of  the 
question  of  life  and  death. 

But  his  subsequent  action  agreed  with  the  theory 
that  the  man  really  wished  to  save  the  youth.  Hop- 
ing that  the  eavesdropper  had  not  identified  him, 
Jean  hurried  to  his  own  home  and  locked  Asher 

III 


112         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

within,  leaving  the  question  of  his  final  escape  from 
the  settlement  to  be  determined  by  events  as  they 
came  up. 

But  hardly  had  the  two  entered,  when  the  Indian 
knocked  and  demanded  admittance.  On  the  suppo- 
sition that  there  was  but  one  of  them,  the  obvious 
course  for  Jean  would  have  been  to  admit  him  with- 
out delay.  Asher  Norris  held  no  single  warrior  in 
fear,  and,  leaving  the  Canadian  to  act  a  neutral  part, 
Asher  could  have  disposed  of  him  with  little  delay 
and  then  gone  forth  from  the  cabin  unquestioned. 

But  such  an  incident  would  have  involved  the 
host  in  the  gravest  trouble.  The  death  of  the  war- 
rior would  have  been  investigated  and  the  Cana- 
dian's life  endangered,  if  not  forfeited.  It  was 
unreasonable  to  expect  him  to  consent  to  anything 
of  that  nature,  losing  sight  of  the  fact  that  he  was 
so  agitated  that  he  was  uncertain  of  the  right  course 
to  follow. 

All  this  was  disquieting  enough,  but  the  youth 
crouching  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  was  tormented  by 
another  suspicion,  amounting  to  a  belief,  that  Jean 
Chotean  had  aimed  to  play  him  false  from  the 
beginning.  When  he  first  warned  him  to  flee,  he 
may  have  been  honest,  but  from  the  moment  he 
discovered  that  the  two  were  under  the  surveillance 
of  an  Ottawa  warrior,  every  point  played  was  with 
a  view  of  Asher  Norris's  betrayal. 


ON    THE  RIVER'S  MARGIN.  II3 

The  latter  listened  intently  in  the  oppressive  still- 
ness. The  wife  was  evidently  sitting  in  her  chair, 
and  taking  no  part  in  the  conversation,  but  Jean 
and  the  Ottawa  talked  earnestly  and  in  low  tones. 
The  Canadian  understood  the  Indian  lingo  which 
was  employed,  so  that  when  the  listener  now  and 
then  caught  a  word,  he  could  form  no  idea  of  its 
meaning.  That  the  dusky  miscreant  knew  of  the 
American's  presence  in  the  house  was  self-evident ; 
the  two  were  evidently  discussing  the  best  way  of 
disposing  of  him. 

'  *  They  will  hardly  dare  to  venture  up  the  ladder 
to  attack  me;  I  wish  they  would." 

Suddenly  the  talking  ceased.  Asher  listened  with 
the  same  closeness  as  before,  but  it  was  not 
renewed.     What  could  it  mean  ? 

Actuated  by  his  great  fear,  the  youth  knelt  down 
softly  until  he  was  able  to  lower  his  head,  so  as  to 
see  into  the  room.  To  his  amazement  neither  Cho- 
tean  nor  the  Ottawa  was  visible.  The  wife  sat  in 
her  chair  with  folded  hands,  as  if  she  had  not  stirred 
from  the  moment  she  took  her  seat,  but  she  was  the 
only  occupant  of  the  lower  floor. 

Despite  the  attention  with  which  Asher  Norris 
had  listened,  the  two  men  had  opened,  passed  out, 
and  closed  the  door  without  his  hearing  them.  It 
seamed  incredible,  but  it  was  the  fact. 

"  They  have  gone  to  bring  help;  a  party  of  them 


114         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

will  be  back  in  a  few  minutes,  and  then  I  shall  be 
like  a  rat  in  a  trap — that  is  if  I  wait,  which  I  shall 
not  do." 

Placing  his  foot  on  a  round  of  the  ladder  he 
descended  as  nimbly  as  he  had  climbed  the  primi- 
tive stairs  a  few  minutes  before.  The  instant  the 
woman  saw  him  coming  down,  she  rose  in  a  startled 
way  from  her  chair,  and,  holding  up  her  hands, 
exclaimed : 

*'  Go  back  !  go  back  !  you  must  stay  till  they 
return ! ' ' 

She  did  not  speak  English  as  well  as  her  husband, 
but  her  words  were  unmistakable.  Uttered  in  her 
excitement,  they  confirmed  the  fears  that  had  moved 
the  young  man  to  action. 

"  I  am  going  to  leave  this  house,"  he  said,  paus- 
ing for  an  instant  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

"  You  must  not!  you  must  stay!  They  will  soon 
be  back  !  If  they  find  you  are  not  here,  they  will 
kill  Jean  and  me  !  " 

She  interposed  as  if  to  keep  him  from  reaching  the 
door.  The  eyes  of  Asher  Norris  flashed.  Clubbing 
his  rifle,  he  said  in  a  voice  low  of  deadly  meaning : 

'*  Stand  aside,  or  I  will  strike  you  to  the  floor!  " 

Frightened  by  his  terrible  looks  and  manner,  she 
threw  up  her  hands,  as  if  to  ward  off  the  impending 
blow,  and  retreating  to  her  chair  dropped  into  it  with 
a  collapse  that  must  have  threatened  the  structure. 


"GO  uack!  go  back!" 


Piige  IJ4. 


ON  THE  RIVER'S  MARGIN.  I15 

She  had  done  all  she  could  to  restrain  the  captive, 
and  now  simply  stared  at  him,  without  movement 
or  word. 

Not  a  second  was  to  spare.  The  heavy  wooden 
bar  was  leaning  against  the  side  of  the  house  and 
the  door  was  held  only  by  the  latch,  whose  string 
was  still  inside,  Jean  not  having  taken  the  time  to 
run  the  end  through  the  small  orifice.  When  he 
should  return,  his  knock  would  cause  the  door's 
instant  opening  by  the  waiting  wife. 

Asher  Norris  raised  the  latch,  stepped  outside  and 
drew  the  door  shut.  His  fear  was  that  the  woman 
would  make  an  outcry  that  would  bring  her  husband 
and  the  Indians  to  the  spot,  but  she  was  too  terrified 
to  think  of  that. 

The  youth  stood  still  for  a  moment,  looking  and 
listening.  To  the  right  could  be  seen  the  glow  of 
the  wood  fires  shining  through  the  front  doors  and 
windows  of  the  cabins  strung  in  that  direction,  while 
to  the  left  the  same  was  observed.  He  saw  no  one 
moving  about,  for  the  hour  had  become  late. 

Crouching  low,  to  conceal  himself  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, Asher  ran  across  the  space  intervening  between 
him  and  the  fringe  of  wood  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 
The  distance  was  slight,  and  he  held  his  breath  until 
among  the  friendly  shadows.  Then  kneeling,  he 
listened  and  watched. 

His  flight  was  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  hardly 


Il6        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

had  he  reached  his  concealment  when  the  familiar 
guttural  exclamation  was  heard  from  a  point  toward 
the  upper  end  of  the  settlement.  At  the  same 
moment  he  made  out  the  figures  of  four  men  ap- 
proaching at  a  rapid  pace,  the  foremost  of  whom  he 
recognized  in  the  moonlight  as  Jean  Chotean,  the 
others  being  Indians,  fully  armed. 

It  was  marvellous  how  quickly  these  miscreants 
had  been  brought  to  the  scene,  but  the  whole  thing 
was  clear  to  Norris.  Finding  himself  detected,  the 
Canadian  had  made  it  appear  that  he  had  inveigled 
the  American  into  his  house  for  the  purpose  of 
entrapping  him  (and  Asher  believed  such  to  be  the 
fact),  after  which  he  and  the  Ottawa  had  gone  for 
help  in  making  the  youth  a  prisoner. 

The  latter  waited  where  he  was  until  the  four 
stopped  at  the  door,  and,  after  a  moment's  delay, 
were  admitted.  Then,  feeling  that  his  situation 
was  too  dangerous  to  be  held,  he  began  stealing 
along  the  bank  and  away  from  the  dreaded  spot. 
His  flight  must  be  discovered  within  a  few  seconds, 
and  the  Ottawas  would  neglect  no  chance  of  secur- 
ing him  before  he  could  get  beyond  their  reach. 

The  task  of  the  young  man  was  a  difficult  one,  for 
he  was  likely  to  betray  himself  by  the  rustling  of 
the  bushes  and  the  breaking  of  twigs  under  his  feet, 
but  as  yet  no  one  was  hunting  for  him,  and  special 
care  was  not  necessary. 


ON   THE  KJVEX'S  MAR  GIN. 


"7 


The  temptation  to  enter  the  river  and  swim  for 
the  other  side  was  strong,  though  he  was  handi- 
capped by  his  rifle,  which  he  could  not  well  secure 
to  his  back,  but  he  decided  not  to  resort  to  that 
until  no  other  way  was  left  open  to  him. 

The  point  where  he  had  left  his  canoe  was  not  far, 
and  his  familiarity  with  the  settlement  enabled  him 
to  reach  the  spot  with  no  loss  of  time.  But  there 
he  was  met  by  a  surprise  and  disappointment :  his 
canoe  was  gone. 

Under  other  circumstances  he  would  have  ex- 
plained this  as  a  mistake  on  his  part  as  to  the  spot, 
but  his  certainty  could  not  have  been  greater  had 
the  sun  been  shining  in  the  sky. 

"  Since  some  one  has  taken  my  boat  I  shall  have 
to  take  the  boat  of  some  one,"  was  the  philosoph- 
ical conclusion  of  the  youth,  who  lost  no  time  in 
searching  for  that  which  was  lost.  He  continued 
stealing  up  the  bank  of  the  river,  knowing  that  he 
would  not  have  to  go  far  before  coming  upon  one  of 
the  numerous  canoes  that  were  always  strung  along 
the  shore. 

He  heard  nothing  of  his  pursuers,  but  an  Indian 
when  hunting  for  a  foe  does  not  do  so  with  a  brass 
band,  and  they  might  be  at  that  moment  within  a 
few  rods  of  him.  His  care,  therefore,  was  so  great 
that  his  progress  was  slow. 

Good   fortune  attended   him,   for  he  had  gone 


Il8         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

scarcely  fifty  feet,  when  his  outstretched  hand 
touched  the  side  of  one  of  the  bark  structures  lying 
across  his  path  and  close  to  the  edge  of  the  water. 
Lifting  it  carefully  from  the  ground,  he  carried  it  a 
few  paces  and  then  set  it  down  so  gently  in  the  cur- 
rent that  nardly  a  ripple  was  produced. 

"  It  weighs  about  the  same  as  mine,  and,  by  gra- 
cious!    It  is  mine! " 

Such  was  the  fact.  Despite  the  obscurity  he 
recognized  the  craft  as  the  one  in  which  he  had 
crossed  the  river  earlier  in  the  evening,  and  to  which 
he  was  as  much  accustomed  as  to  his  own  rifle.  It 
was  hard  to  account  for  its  removal  from  where  he 
had  left  it,  but  the  fact  was  a  warning  that  he  did 
not  forget.  Whoever  had  transferred  it  must  expect 
to  return,  and  perhaps  at  that  time  was  on  his  way. 
Possibly  it  was  Jean  Chotean  or  one  of  the  Ottawas. 

It  was  this  fear  that  led  Asher  to  seat  himself  in 
the  craft  and  drive  it  fully  a  hundred  yards  up 
stream,  before  venturing  to  halt.  Then,  feeling 
that  none  of  his  enemies  would  know  where  to  look 
for  him,  he  checked  the  boat,  holding  it  motionless 
by  seizing  one  of  the  overhanging  limbs. 

The  trouble  was  that  just  then  the  sky  had  be- 
come so  freed  of  drifting  clouds  that  the  moon  shone 
with  unobstructed  light,  which  was  so  reflected  from 
the  unruffled  surface  of  the  river  that  he  dared  not 
venture  into  it. 


ON  THE  RIVER'S  MARGIN,  II9 


<« 


And  why  should  I  leave  this  shore  ? ' ' 
This  was  the  question  that  he  asked  himself  before 
he  again  laid  hand  on  his  canoe.  He  had  set  out  to 
search  for  Madge  Linwood,  of  whose  whereabouts 
he  had  not  gained  the  first  idea.  She  might  be 
somewhere  on  the  eastern  shore,  and  still  in  the 
French  settlement.  At  any  rate,  if  Asher  Norris 
went  back  to  the  fort,  the  most  that  he  could  say 
was  that  Pierre  Muire  had  started  to  take  her  home 
more  than  twenty-four  hours  before,  since  which 
time  nothing  was  known  of  either.  The  knight 
errant,  therefore,  would  be  confessing  that  he  was 
able  to  do  naught  toward  clearing  up  the  mystery, 
and  such  confession  he  would  not  make  while  life 
remained. 

His  brain  was  in  a  state  of  turmoil,  for  he  was  sure 
that  never  had  any  person  been  confronted  by  so 
puzzling  a  problem.  Convinced  that  Jean  Chotean 
was  able  to  tell  him  far  more  than  he  had  told,  he 
was  still  powerless  to  use  that  source  of  information. 
It  would  not  do  for  him  again  to  meet  the  Canadian 
that  had  tried  to  betray  him  into  the  hands  of  the 
Ottawas,  for,  aside  from  the  resentment  he  felt 
toward  the  man,  no  reliance  could  be  placed  upon 
his  words. 

Asher  Norris  asked  himself  whether  there  was 
not  some  one  in  the  settlement  who  had  an  inkling 
of  the  truth,  and  who  could  be  trusted  to  make 


120         PONTIAr,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

it  known.  He  knew  nearly  every  settler,  and  he 
called  to  mind  a  number  whose  word  was  worthy  of 
belief,  but  it  was  a  staggering  problem  as  to  how  he 
could  open  communication  with  them,  at  the  very 
time  that  a  party  of  Ottawas  were  searching  the 
place  for  him. 

"  Ah,  if  Uncle  Jo  were  here,"  was  the  thought 
that  would  obtrude  itself,  despite  its  idleness,  "  but 
he  is  n't,  nor  will  he  be  for  days  to  come,  and  within 
that  time  the  fate  of  poor  Madge  must  be  set- 
tled  " 

Sitting  thus  in  the  canoe,  with  one  hand  gently 
grasping  a  tiny  limb  and  his  senses  keyed  to  the 
highest  point,  he  became  aware  that  he  was  not 
alone.  Some  person  was  moving  along  the  bank, 
close  to  the  water's  edge. 

"  It  's  one  of  the  Ottawas,"  was  the  conclusion 
of  Asher  Norris,  but  he  was  mistaken. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CATHARINE. 

SEATED  in  the  small  canoe,  held  perfectly  mo- 
tionless, Asher  Norris  had  nothing  to  do  but 
to  listen.  He  was  far  enough  under  the  over- 
hanging bushes  to  be  wrapped  in  shadow,  so  that 
no  change  of  position  could  help  him. 

How  could  any  person,  be  he  ever  so  subtle  and 
skilled  in  woodcraft,  learn  where  he  was  in  hiding, 
when  there  was  absolutely  nothing  to  guide  such 
person  ?  And  yet,  as  if  there  is  really  a  sixth  sense, 
this  very  thing  was  done. 

Confident  that  the  man,  if  hunting  for  him,  would 
pass  beyond,  the  youth  listened  to  his  movements, 
which  were  readily  traced  in  the  perfect  stillness,  for 
the  current  was  so  sluggish  thus  close  to  shore  that 
it  made  no  ripple  against  the  prow  of  the  light  canoe. 
Furthermore,  the  individual  groping  along  the  land 
did  not  seem  to  take  pains  to  veil  his  movements. 

Asher  heard  him  draw  the  bushes  aside,  after 
which  the  moccasined  foot  was  pressed  upon  the 
yielding  ground.  Then  the  hands  parted  the  under- 
growth again  and  the  careful  step  was  repeated. 

|3( 


y 


122         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

When  first  detected  the  stranger  was  nearer  the  set- 
tlement than  the  American,  and  several  minutes 
passed  before  he  reached  a  point  opposite  the  canoe. 
Then  he  went  two  or  three  paces  beyond. 

"  He  will  keep  that  up  till  he  grows  tired,  and 
then  conclude " 

Could  Asher  Norris  credit  his  senses  ?  The  other 
had  paused  as  if  aware  that  he  had  gone  too  far, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  retrace  his  steps.  How  in 
the  name  of  the  seven  wonders  had  he  learned  the 
fact  ?  The  youth  had  heard  his  uncle  tell  of  such 
things,  but  he  had  never  before  experienced  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  nor  did  he  believe  it  possible  until 
this  moment. 

Back,  step  by  step,  for  three  paces,  which  was 
slightly  too  far,  and  then  there  was  a  second  pause. 
Wonderful  to  relate,  the  stranger  had  discovered 
that  he  was  once  more  beyond  soundings.  So  he 
halted,  stood  still  a  moment,  retrograded  for  one 
pace,  and  then  came  to  a  final  stop.  He  had  struck 
the  right  spot  and  knew  it. 

"  That  's  as  near  a  miracle  as  anything  comes  in 
this  world, '  *  thought  Asher  Norris  with  a  feeling  of 
awe. 

Pausing  only  a  few  seconds,  the  stranger  began 
moving  once  more  through  the  wood  and  under- 
growth, but  now  he  was  coming  toward  the  canoe. 
The  situation  of  Asher  Norris  was  critical.     If  he 


CATHARINE.  123 

remained  where  he  was  the  warrior  would  be  able  to 
shoot  or  to  hurl  his  tomahawk  with  unerring  aim, 
and  being  in  deeper  concealment  could  not  be 
detected. 

Asher  was  about  to  let  go  of  the  straining  limb, 
so  as  to  float  with  the  sluggish  current,  when  the 
other  spoke : 

"  Is  that  my  brother?" 

If  a  ghost  had  addressed  the  young  man  he  could 
not  have  been  more  startled  than  by  these  words. 
It  was  not  a  white  man,  nor  an  Indian  warrior  that 
had  thus  spoken,  but  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  girl 
that  had  given  Major  Gladwyn  warning  of  the  plan 
of  Pontiac  to  massacre  the  garrison.  It  was  she 
who  in  searching  for  Asher  had  given  so  marvellous 
a  display  of  woodcraft. 

The  youth  drove  his  canoe  against  the  shore  at 
the  feet  of  the  girl,  who  seemed  to  expect  something 
of  that  nature.  The  gloom  was  so  deep  that  neither 
could  see  the  other,  but  had  they  chosen  they  might 
have  clasped  hands,  and  their  voices  were  so  modu- 
lated that  Pontiac  himself,  if  within  two  or  three 
yards,  would  not  have  heard  them. 

"  Catharine,  I  am  g):id  you  have  come,  but  how 
did  70U  know  where  I  was  ? ' ' 

She  spoke  English  as  if  to  the  manner  born. 

*'  I  saw  my  brother  leave  the  house  of  Jean 
Chotean." 


124         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

"  Did  you  see  me  go  in  ?  " 

"  You  and  he  went  in;  he  and  Gray  Wolf  came 
out  together ;  they  had  gone  for  other  warriors  to 
slay  my  brother ;  then  you  came  forth  and  hurried 
away ;  had  you  waited  but  a  little  while,  you  would 
have  been  too  late. ' ' 

"  You  are  right  as  to  that,  for  I  saw  the  four 
returning  and  knew  they  expected  to  get  my  scalp. 
Did  you  remove  my  canoe  from  where  I  left  it  to 
this  place  ? ' ' 

"  No  ;  Catharine  knew  nothing  of  that  ;  she 
looked  for  you ;  for  she  had  something  to  tell  you 
that  your  heart  yearns  to  know." 

Asher  would  have  insisted  upon  her  explaining 
how  she  succeeded  in  locating  him  in  the  remarkable 
manner  described,  but  for  these  last  words  which  set 
his  heart  a-throbbing  with  hope  and  fear. 

"  Rave  you  something  to  tell  me  of  Madge  Lin- 
wood  ? '  * 

* '  I  have  something  to  tell  you  of  her ;  I  saw  her 
when  she  came  to  the  home  of  the  sick  woman; 
Pierre  Muire  brought  her  there;  that  never  should 
have  been." 

"  It  would  not  had  I  been  at  the  fort,  but  I  was 
away. ' ' 

"  My  brother  does  not  understand  what  Catharine 
means. ' ' 
**  You  mean  that  Madge  went  into  great  danger, 


CATHARINE,  12$ 

when  she  came  to  the  settlement,  for  that  is  proved 
because  she  is  missing." 

"  It  is  not  that  which  I  mean,  but  Pierre  Muire 
loves  the  white  maiden ;  he  wished  to  make  her  his 
wife,  as  the  white  people  call  their  squaws. 

These  words  went  through  Asher  Norris  like  a 
knife-thrust.  It  was  not  idle  suspicion,  then,  on  his 
part,  for  this  wise  Indian  maiden  had  noted  it. 
Pierre  was  in  love  with  Madge,  even  though  his 
mother  was  at  the  point  of  death  and  may  have 
asked  for  her.  Probably  it  was  that  fact  which 
prompted  the  action  to  the  young  man. 

"  But  Pierre  set  out  last  night  to  take  her  home, 
as  he  promised." 

"  And  yet  he  did  not  get  there." 

"  Not  unless  he  returned  this  evening." 

"  He  has  not  returned ;  he  will  never  return.  But 
Pierre  was  not  the  only  one  who  loves  the  beautiful 
maiden." 

Asher  blushed  in  the  darkness,  for  he  supposed 
she  referred  to  him,  but  he  was  dumfounded  the 
next  moment  by  the  declaration : 

**  Pontiac,  the  great  chieftain  of  the  Ottawas, 
loves  her  for  wb'sm  the  heart  of  my  brother 
yearns. ' ' 

"  Heavens!  can  it  be  possible  ?  I  never  dreamed 
of  that!" 

"  Pontiac  loves  the  pale-faced  maiden  !" 


126        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS, 


4< 


The  wretch !  he  has  a  wife ;  what  business  has 
he  to  look  upon  Madge  Linwood  ?  " 

Catharine  was  silent,  as  if  the  question  was 
beyond  her  power  of  reply.  It  struck  Asher  Norris 
that  this  was  an  unprecedented  state  of  affairs. 
Here  was  Madge,  not  yet  out  of  her  girlhood, 
looked  upon  with  covetous  eyes  by  him,  an  Amer- 
ican; by  Pierre  Muire,  a  French  Canadian  ;  and 
Pontiac,  the  Ottawa  chieftain.  It  would  seem  as  if 
some  other  nationality  ought  to  be  represented 
among  the  claimants  for  her  hand. 

*  *  Pierre  started  last  night  to  take  Madge  home. 
Did  you  see  them  depart  ?  ' ' 

"  Catharine  stood  on  the  shore  and  waved  good- 
by  to  her  friend.  She  sat  at  the  front  of  the  canoe, 
and  Pierre  used  the  paddle.  They  headed  across 
the  river,  and  by  and  by  the  darkness  shut  them  out 
from  sight.  Catharine  saw  them  no  more.  Pierre 
has  not  come  back,  and  the  pale-faced  maiden  is 
not  at  home. ' ' 

"  How  came  you  to  know  that,  Catharine  ?  " 

**  My  brother  said  so  to  Jean  Chotean." 

"And  you  overheard  us!  You  are  a  wonderful 
girl.     But  can  you  tell  me  where  Madge  is  ?  " 

"  Only  the  Great  Spirit  knows,  but  Catharine 
thinks  she  is  with  Pontiac." 

**  Then  where  is  Pierre  ? " 

••  Dead." 


CATHARINE,  12/ 

"  I  do  not  understand  how  that  can  be.  Pontiac 
was  the  friend  of  Pierre. ' ' 

"  But  when  he  finds  that  Piene  loves  the  maiden, 
then  Pierre  is  his  enemy. ' ' 

"  But  last  night  Pontiac  was  with  his  warriors 
nine  or  ten  miles  from  here.  I  know  it,  for  I  was 
on  the  schooner  which  the  Indians  attacked  far 
down  the  river,  and  I  saw  Pontiac  with  my  own 
eyes." 

'  *  But  Pontiac  could  travel  many  miles  since  then ; 
some  of  his  warriors  may  have  brought  the  maiden 
to  him." 

"  Well,"  said  Asher,  "  this  is  beyond  my  ken. 
Catharine,  you  can  find  out  where  Madge  is.  If 
you  will  do  so  it  will  make  the  hearts  of  her  friends 
glad." 

"  Catharine  will  try." 

He  was  about  to  repeat  his  urging,  when  he  dis- 
covered that  she  was  with  him  no  longer.  He  heard 
a  slight  rustling,  and,  without  a  parting  word,  she 
vanished. 

Perhaps  it  was  as  well,  since  she  had  no  more  to 
tell  him,  nor  would  he  have  been  likely  to  accept 
advice  from  her,  much  as  he  admired  her  wonderful 
woodcraft. 

He  had  learned  that  Pierre  Muire  had  set  out  on 
the  previous  evening  with  Madge  Linwood  in  his 
canoe,  and  had  headed  for  Fort  Detroit.     Thus  far 


128         rONTlAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

everything  coincided  with  his  promises  and  with  his 
statements.  His  mother  was  mortally  ill,  and, 
despite  that  fact,  he  had  left  her  to  return  the  girl 
to  her  parents,  as  he  had  pledged  to  do  when  he 
took  her  away.  Scrutinized  up  to  this  point,  his 
conduct  was  straightforward  and  honorable. 

But  the  momentous  question  remained  as  to  what 
had  become  of  the  two,  after  passing  out  upon  the 
river  in  the  darkness  of  night.  When  beyond  reach 
of  all  prying  eyes,  the  young  man  may  have  carried 
out  an  intention  previously  formed.  Forgetting  his 
stricken  parent  in  his  infatuation  for  the  girl,  per- 
haps he  took  her  to  some  point  where  he  expected 
to  make  her  confess  her  love  and  promise  to  become 
his  wife  ere  she  could  return  to  her  home. 

But  the  intrusion  of  Pontiac  into  the  affair  seemed 
to  twist  all  theories  askew.  With  the  almost  unlim- 
ited power  possessed  by  the  chieftain  at  that  time, 
there  was  little  hope  of  thwarting  his  imperious 
will.  He  had  so  many  to  do  his  bidding  that, 
though  he  may  have  been  miles  from  the  scene  of 
action,  some  of  his  warriors  would  have  seized  the 
chance  to  serve  him. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  sorely  troubled  Asher  to 
remain  idle  while  these  and  hundreds  of  similar 
thoughts  were  seething  through  his  brain.  Catha- 
rine being  gone,  he  pushed  the  canoe  from  shore, 
just  far  enough  off  to  allow  it  to  clear  the  overhang- 


CATHARINE.  12^ 

ing  vegetation,  when  he  began  paddling  slowly  and 
silently  down  stream  in  the  direction  of  the  fort,  or 
rather  parallel  with  that  direction,  since  he  did  not 
venture  out  into  the  channel. 

This  was  what  might  be  considered  the  "  back 
trail,"  since  it  carried  him  in  front  of  the  settle- 
ment, and  past  the  home  of  Jean  Chotean,  from 
which  he  had  escaped  just  in  time  to  save  his  life. 
He  needed  no  one  to  remind  him  of  the  need  of 
care,  though  it  was  to  be  supposed  that  the  friends 
of  Chotean  had  finished  their  search  of  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood  of  his  house,  and  were  now  look- 
ing elsewhere. 

And  so  it  was  that  he  drifted  downward,  some- 
times using  his  paddle,  listening  intently  and  con- 
tinually glancing  about  him.  The  sky  remained 
quite  clear,  so  that  the  moon  shone  without  ob- 
struction, and  he  was  able  to  see  for  a  considerable 
distance  over  the  calmly  flowing  river. 

He  was  not  mistaken,  therefore,  when  just  on  the 
farthest  line  of  vision,  he  traced  the  outlines  of  a 
canoe,  floating  with  the  current.  It  went  faster 
than  he  would  have  gone,  had  he  not  used  his  pad- 
dle, since  the  current  was  more  rapid  than  near 
shore.  The  boat  drifted  with  the  silence  of  a 
shadow,  and,  urged  by  a  curiosity  which  prudence 
would  have  told  him  to  restrain,  Asher  paddled  a 

slight  way  from  the  protecting  gloom  that  he  might 
a 


130         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

gain  a  closer  view.  He  remained  so  near  the  shore 
that  in  the  event  of  danger  he  could  dart  among 
the  vegetation  and  leap  out  upon  land. 

There  was  a  single  person  in  the  other  boat.  He 
was  sitting  near  the  stern,  or  rather  the  rear,  since 
both  ends  were  the  same,  with  drooping  head  and 
idle  arms.  So  far  as  the  youth  could  make  out,  he 
held  no  paddle,  but  appeared  like  a  man  asleep. 

Mindful  of  the  clever  tricks  to  which  the  Amer- 
ican Indian  resorts  to  deceive  his  enemy,  Asher 
advanced  with  extreme  caution,  but  something 
familiar  in  the  appearance  of  the  other  led  him  to 
dip  his  paddle  more  deeply  and  to  forget  the  danger 
behind  him. 

Thus  approaching,  the  American  suddenly  uttered 
an  exclamation  of  astonishment.  He  had  recog- 
nized the  man,  and  swept  his  boat  alongside,  calling 
out  to  him  in  an  incautiously  loud  voice. 

There  was  no  movement  or  anything  in  the  nature 
of  a  response.  Nor  indeed  could  there  be,  for  Pierre 
Muire,  who  sat  with  bowed  head  and  motionless 
arms,  was  dead. 


THE   LAST   OF    PIKRRE. 


Page  I  JO. 


■M^^M 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

A  CANOE  AND   ITS   OCCUPANT. 

IT  was  a  terrifying  discovery,  and,  accustomed  as 
Asher  Norris  had  become  to  scenes  of  violence, 
he  never  was  more  deeply  impressed  than  by  the 
sight  of  the  Hfeless  body  of  Pierre  Muire,  sitting 
with  drooping  head  and  arms,  at  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  which  was  drifting  down  the  Detroit  river. 

His  next  thought  was  of  her  that  had  been  his 
passenger,  and,  scarcely  breathing,  he  leaned  over 
and  peered  into  the  boat.  Thank  God,  it  was 
empty ! 

Empty  not  of  her  alone,  but  of  everything  except 
the  body  of  the  hapless  French  Canadian.  Placing 
his  hand  upon  the  face  he  found  it  cold.  Doubtless 
the  poor  fellow  had  been  dead  for  many  hours.  If 
stricken  while  paddling,  the  oar  had  slipped  from 
his  hand  and  floated  off.  His  legs  were  outstretched 
in  front  of  him,  and  his  position  would  have  been 
natural  to  any  man  that  had  given  way  to  drowsi- 
ness and  was  sleeping  soundly. 

There  was  enough  moonlight  for  Asher  to  see  the 

point  v/here  the  bullet  had  entered  the  left  breast, 

131 


132        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

bringing  death  as  suddenly  as  if  from  the  lightning 
bolt.  Unfortunate  Pierre  Muire!  A  brief  while 
before  he  was  the  embodiment  of  physical  strength 
and  vigor,  and  now  he  had  gone  to  join  his  widowed 
mother,  or  perhaps  he  had  preceded  her  into  the 
mysterious  land  of  shadows. 

The  heart  of  Asher  Norris  smote  him,  for  .'ie  was 
convinced  now  that  he  had  done  the  dead  man  a 
great  injustice.  He  may  have  loved  Madge — doubt- 
less he  did — but  who  could  be  blamed  for  that  ? 
But  he  had  meant  to  keep  his  pledge  to  her  parents, 
and,  whether  or  not  he  declared  his  love,  he  intended 
to  deliver  her  unharmed  to  them.  And  while  striv- 
ing to  do  so  he  had  been  laid  low  by  some  one. 

"  Killed  by  an  Indian,  that  thereby  he  might 
please  Pontiac,"  was  the  thought  of  the  young 
man,  whose  anger  was  kindled  against  the  terrible 
Ottawa;  "  they  slew  Pierre  and  took  away  Madge." 

This  conclusion  would  have  seemed  reasonable, 
but  for  the  fact  that  more  than  twenty-four  hours 
had  passed  since  the  Canadian  left  his  home  with 
Madge  Linwood.  Where  had  the  two  been  in 
the  interval,  and  how  came  it  that,  on  the  second 
night,  the  body  of  Pierre  was  found  floating  down 
the  river  in  his  canoe,  near  the  spot  where  the  crime 
must  have  been  committed  ? 

It  was  too  late  to  atone  for  the  unjust  suspicion 
held  toward  his  old  acquaintance,  but  a  chivalrous 


/ 

A   CANOE  AND  ITS  OCCUPANT.  1 33 

impulse  led  Asher  to  do  that  which  might  i  i  consid- 
ered his  last  tribute,  and  which  was  attended  with 
great  personal  risk  to  himself. 

In  guiding  his  boat  down  stream  he  had  ap- 
proached the  southern  termination  of  the  settle- 
ment, and  was  somewhat  below  the  former  home  of 
Pierre.  He  could  make  no  mistake  as  to  the  spot. 
With  a  thong  from  his  buckskin  breeches  he  fas- 
tened the  other  canoe  to  his  own,  and  paddled 
silently  to  the  place  from  which  he  fled  in  such 
affright  but  a  brief  while  before.  It  was  now  fully 
midnight,  and  few  of  the  people  were  astir.  He 
did  not  aim  for  a  spot  above  or  below  the  house 
where  the  watchers  were  with  the  dead  body,  but, 
striking  the  point  with  almost  mathematical  exact- 
ness, he  stepped  out  and  drew  the  second  boat  far 
up  the  bank,  where  it  could  not  be  swept  away  by 
the  action  of  the  current. 

"  Some  one  will  find  it  to-morrow  and  give  it 
decent  burial  beside  the  body  of  his  mother.  Pity 
that  Pontiac  and  all  his  crew  could  not  pass  out  of 
existence  at  the  same  time!  " 

This  duty  done,  Asher  again  entered  his  canoe, 
as  much  at  a  loss  as  to  what  he  should  do  as  after 
hearing  the  story  of  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  maiden. 
He  was  paddling  back  and  forth,  going  hither  and 
thither,  gaining  slight  information,  but  securing 
nothing  that  could  give  the  desired  clew,  and  with- 


134        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWA S. 

out  any  knowledge  of  where  he  should  look  for  her 
who  was  dearer  than  all  the  world  to  him. 

But  hold !  Was  he  really  so  destitute  of  informa- 
tion ?  Catharine  believed  that  Madge  Linwood  was 
in  the  Ottawa  village,  a  prisoner  of  Pontiac,  and  the 
incident  just  described  conformed  to  such  belief. 
It  looked  as  if  Pierre  had  been  shot  while  in  mid- 
stream by  some  follower  of  the  chieftain  who  knew 
of  his  infatuation  for  the  girl,  and  that  she  had  been 
taken  out  of  the  boat,  while  her  protector  was  left 
to  himself. 

The  canoe  may  have  been  near  shore  when  the 
fatal  shot  was  fired,  or  perhaps  it  was  accidentally 
caught  in  some  obstruction  which  held  it  until 
it  loosened  in  the  same  manner  to  drift  down 
stream.  The  cause  of  the  delay  was  thus  readily 
explained. 

If  the  missing  one  was  in  the  Ottawa  village,  the 
diflficulty  of  rescuing  her  looked  very  great.  Pon- 
tiac had  so  many  warriors  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  with  others  joining  him,  that  Major  Gladwyn 
had  no  power  to  force  him  to  do  anything.  The 
garrison,  as  we  have  learned,  was  so  weak  that  the 
most  the  commandant  could  hope  to  do  was  to 
stand  off  the  chieftain  and  his  savages  who  were 
besieging  him  until  through  weariness  they  would 
give  up  the  task.  If  any  illustration  were  needed 
of  the  folly  of  attacking  the  hostiles,  it  had  already 


A   CANOE  AND  ITS  OCCUPANT.  1 35 

been  furnished  in  the  frightful  repulse  of  Major  Dal- 
zell  at  Bloody  Ridge. 

There  had  been  some  exchanges  of  prisoners  with 
Pontiac,  but  they  were  few.  It  need  not  be  said 
that  if  the  leader  had  formed  a  fancy  for  Madge 
Linwood  and  had  succeeded  in  securing  possession 
of  her,  Major  Gladwyn  could  not  capture  enough 
Indians  to  give  in  exchange  for  her. 

All  this  being  so,  where  could  there  be  any  hope 
of  saving  Madge  ?  It  would  seem  that  there  was 
little  indeed.  But  youth,  vigor,  and  naturally 
bounding  spirits  cannot  long  remain  cast  down, 
and,  dark  as  the  situation  looked,  Asher  Norris  did 
not  yield  to  despair. 

There  were  three  grounds  upon  which  he  based 
his  hope:  In  the  first  place,  Madge  Linwood  was 
bright  and  brave  and  daring,  and  she  might  be  able 
to  help  herself.  She  knew  the  nature  of  the  people 
that  had  made  her  captive,  and  possibly  would  find 
a  way  of  turning  that  knowledge  to  account. 
Again,  the  interest  of  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  girl, 
had  been  enlisted.  She  was  one  of  the  most  cun- 
ning of  her  race.  While  she  carried  the  momentous 
secret  of  Pontiac *s  plan  for  the  massacre  of  the  gar- 
rison to  Major  Gladwyn,  as  well  as  other  hardly  less 
important  matters,  that  chieftain,  with  all  his 
shrewdness,  never  held  any  suspicion  of  her.  Had 
he  known  the  truth  he  would  have  sunk  his  toma- 


136        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

hawk  into  her  brain  with  the  suddenness  of  the 
lightning  stroke. 

Finally  Pontiac  had  set  his  heart  upon  capturing 
Detroit.  He  knew  that  some  of  the  posts,  like 
Mackinaw,  Le  Boeuf,  and  others  had  fallen,  and  he 
had  promised  the  different  tribes  that  the  leading 
fort  of  all  should  be  burned  to  ashes  and  the  garri- 
son given  to  the  tomahawk,  and  that  his  hand 
should  kindle  the  blaze. 

Pontiac,  as  is  known,  ranks  among  the  great  Ind- 
ians of  history,  with  an  ambition  as  towering  as  that 
of  King  Philip  or  Tecumseh.  He  would  use  all  the 
means  possible  to  bring  about  the  success  of  his 
gigantic  conspiracy,  for  with  him  he  would  gain  or 
lose  all  ;  and  while  his  infatuation  for  a  young 
woman  of  the  hated  race  was  as  unabated  as  ever, 
the  realization  of  the  dream  of  his  life  must  neces- 
sarily employ  much  of  his  thoughts  and  energies. 
Such  being  the  fact,  the  wisdom  of  the  Ojibwa 
maiden  and  of  Madge  Linwood  would  find  some 
scope. 

The  one  objectionable  feature  in  all  this  was 
that  it  necessarily  eliminated  Asher  Norris  from  the 
problem.  The  part  he  was  to  play  was  no  part  at 
all,  beyond  that  of  spectator,  and  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  consent  to  this. 

The  temptation  was  strong  to  venture  near  the 
encampment  of  the  Ottawas,  with  a  hope  of  gain- 


A    CANOE  AND  ITS  OCCUPANT,  1 37 

ing  more  definite  knowledge,  and  possibly  of  com- 
municating with  the  girl.  How  that  was  to  be 
brought  about,  even  he,  with  his  naturally  buoyant 
spirits,  was  unable  to  figure  out. 

While  these  thoughts  were  following  one  another 
through  his  brain,  he  acted  upon  a  sudden  resolution 
of  returning  to  Detroit  with  the  news  already  ob- 
tained. It  was  remotely  possible,  too,  that  tidings 
had  reached  the  post  that  might  be  of  service  to 
him. 

Accordingly,  his  canoe  was  headed  toward  the 
western  bank,  and  he  sent  it  swiftly  over  the  moon- 
lit surface,  fearing  no  pursuit,  though  the  prowling 
Indians  were  on  every  side  of  the  post.  It  was  well 
beyond  midnight  when  his  boat  touched  land,  and 
he  stepped  out.  He  was  in  peril  from  the  hostiles, 
who,  like  birds  of  the  night,  were  always  prowling 
in  the  vicinity,  on  the  watch  for  some  chance  of 
doing  harm  to  the  place  that  had  defied  their  efforts 
for  months.  By  care,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
gate  without  molestation,  and,  making  himself 
known,  was  admitted  by  the  sentinels. 

He  made  his  way  straight  to  his  own  home,  where 
the  latch-string  was  hanging  out,  though  both  of  his 
parents  had  been  asleep  for  hours.  He  entered 
softly,  and  climbing  to  his  room,  retired  to  rest,  not 
waking  until  the  sun  was  shining.  When  he  de- 
scended, his  mother  was  surprised  and  delighted. 


138         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAJVAS. 

His  father  was  absent,  but  returned  while  the  son 
was  partaking  of  his  morning  meal. 

His  story  was  quickly  told,  and  in  reply  to  his 
inquiries,  he  was  informed  that,  so  far  as  his  parents 
knew,  nothing  further  had  been  heard  of  Madge 
Linwood,  though  it  was  possible  some  news  had 
arrived  late  at  night.  « 

Asher's  next  act  was  to  visit  the  stricken  parents 
of  the  girl,  who  listened  with  painful  interest  to 
what  he  told  them. 

"  Poor  Pierre!  "  said  the  father;  "  he  was  killed 
while  doing  his  duty,  but  many  others  have  fallen 
by  the  hands  of  these  miscreants,  as  many  more 
must  fall  before  they  are  driven  into  the  forests 
where  they  belong." 

"  Surely  Pontiac  will  use  one  so  young  and  inno- 
cent with  mercy,"  said  the  mother,  who,  like  her 
husband,  held  no  thought  of  the  real  reason  why 
the  chieftain  had  made  her  captive,  for  Asher  did 
not  deem  it  well  to  harrow  their  feelings  by  reveal- 
ing the  whole  truth. 

"  He  has  never  been  accused  of  being  a  merciful 
Indian,"  said  he;  "  but  I  have  a  hope  that  he  will 
not  use  her  ill,  because  if  such  was  his  intention  he 
hardly  would  have  taken  the  trouble  to  make  her 
prisoner. ' ' 

Perhaps  the  Ojibwa  girl  will  find  some  way  of 
befriending  her,  for  the  two  loved  each  other ;  but, 


A   CANOE  AND  ITS  OCCUPANT.  I39 

Asher,  it  is  clear  that  there  is  nothing  further  for 
you  to  do." 

"  I  am  sure  you  will  be  content  now  to  remain  at 
home,"  added  the  husband;  **  for  you  cannot  ex- 
pect Pontiac  to  treat  you  with  consideration  when 
you  fall  into  his  hands." 

"  As  yet  I  have  not  fallen  into  his  hands,"  was 
the  response  of  the  youth. 

"  For  which  you  are  to  be  congratulated,  and  for 
which,  too,  I  am  sure  you  are  grateful,  but  when 
you  cannot  be  of  any  help  to  Madge,  you  are  too 
considerate  to  add  to  the  grief  of  your  parents  and 
friends  by  causing  them  to  mourn  your  death." 

Asher  was  annoyed  by  the  way  in  which  these 
good  people  looked  at  the  matter.  He  thought  that 
if  his  own  parents  could  urge  him  to  assume  every 
risk  for  the  sake  of  the  missing  one,  surely  her 
parents  ought  to  be  mute.  But  he  withheld  explain- 
ing his  purpose,  and,  bidding  them  good-by,  he 
took  his  departure. 

Earlier  that  evening  than  before,  he  stole  away 
from  the  post  and  returned  to  the  spot  where  he  had 
left  his  canoe.  It  was  found  undisturbed,  and  en- 
tering the  craft  he  sent  it  skimming  up  stream.  He 
did  not  hug  the  shore  as  closely  as  before,  for  the 
necessity  was  absent.  The  sky  had  clouded  during 
the  afternoon,  and  a  fog  enveloped  wood  and  river, 
with  rain  impending.     He  was  relieved  that  such 


140        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 


was  the  fact,  though  it  promised  to  add  to  his  dis- 
comfort, for  it  would  be  hard  to  find  shelter  from 
the  dampness ;  but  it  removed  the  need  of  extreme 
caution  used  on  the  previous  night.  He  could 
paddle  swiftly  without  peering  on  every  hand  for 
enemies,  though  there  remained  the  possibility  of 
coming  unawares  upon  a  whole  boat-load  of  hos- 
tiles. 

Now  and  then  he  held  his  paddle  suspended  and 
listened,  but  aware  as  he  was  that  the  redmen  could 
drive  a  canoe  as  noiselessly  as  he,  he  was  too  wise  to 
feel  fully  secure.  But  during  the  day  he  had  formu- 
lated his  plan  of  action,  and  was  now  vigorously 
following  it  out  with  the  resolve  to  push  it  to  the 
speediest  conclusion  possible. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

OUTWITTED. 

ASHER  NORRIS  had  decided  upon  his  course 
of  action  after  long  deliberation  —  a  fact 
which  in  no  way  lessened  its  foolhardiness.  It 
was,  in  brief,  to  make  his  way  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Ottawa  village  and  learn,  if  possible, 
not  only  whether  Madge  Linwood  was  there,  but 
whether  he  could  not  do  something  to  aid  in  secur- 
ing her  release  from  captivity  and  return  to  her 
people. 

Had  the  young  man  been  asked  to  explain  how 
all  this  was  to  be  brought  about,  he  would  have 
been  unable  to  answer,  but  his  affection  for  the  dis- 
tressed one,  his  youth,  daring,  and  high  spirits 
fanned  the  belief  that  some  way  would  open  to  carry 
out  the  scheme  that  was  so  dear  to  his  heart. 

He  accepted  the  damp,  foggy  night  as  an  omen 
of  good  fortune.  Persons  of  his  temperament  are 
inclined  to  see  favorable  omens  where  none  exist, 
wrongly  interpreting  them  until  they  awake  too  late 
from  their  error.  Since  in  the  night  he  resembled 
in  looks  and  appearance  the  Canadians,  who  were 

141 


142         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

friendly  to  the  Indians,  he  was  hopeful  of  being  mis- 
taken for  one  of  Uiem,  his  great  drawback  being  that  he 
was  unable  to  speak  the  patois  used  by  those  people. 

Since  it  would  have  involved  a  long,  circuitous 
course  to  pass  around  the  upper  or  lower  end  of  the 
settlement,  he  meant  to  walk  directly  through  it. 
If  the  Ottawas  saw  him  coming  from  that  direction, 
they  would  be  more  likely  to  take  him  for  one  of 
the  settlers  than  if  he  approached  from  another 
point  of  the  compass.  While  he  was  well  known 
to  all  the  white  men,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that 
the  hostiles  would  recognize  him,  unless  brought 
face  to  face  with  them.  It  was  his  English  converse 
with  Jean  Chotean,  within  the  hearing  of  Gray 
Wolf,  which  awoke  the  suspicion  of  the  latter,  and 
came  so  near  bringing  about  his  own  downfall. 

Advancing  diagonally  across  the  river,  the  youth 
had  passed  about  half  the  distance,  when  his  keen 
sense  of  hearing  told  him  he  was  near  some  other 
boat  that  was  approaching.  He  ceased  paddling 
and  listened.  The  almost  inaudible  ripple  and  swish 
of  oars  showed  that  the  other  craft  was  between  him 
and  the  eastern  shore,  and  was  coming  in  a  line  that 
would  bring  it  close  to  him. 

"  They  may  be  Ottawas  or  Canadians,"  was  his 
reflection,  as  he  drove  his  own  boat  farther  up 
stream ;  * '  but  whichever  they  are,  it  is  as  well  that 
we  should  not  meet. '  * 


OUTWITTED.  143 

Despite  his  closeness  of  attention,  he  quickly  dis- 
covered that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  or  the  others 
had  changed  their  course,  for,  when  he  again  held 
his  paddle  motionless,  the  stranger  was  heard  almost 
upon  him.  Impatient  that  this  should  be  the  fact, 
he  again  swung  the  suspended  paddle,  but  before 
the  craft  yielded  to  the  impulse,  a  large  canoe  con- 
taining eight  or  nine  persons,  loomed  out  of  the  fog 
and  darkness,  so  near  and  heading  so  directly 
toward  him,  that  he  would  have  been  run  down,  had 
he  not  abruptly  sheered  his  craft  to  the  left.  In- 
stantly one  of  the  men  called  in  English : 

"This  is  no  time  to  be  abroad!  You  are  in 
danger." 

"  From  whom  ?"  asked  Asher,  still  shying  off 
from  the  Canadians,  for  he  suspected  that  among 
the  party  were  several  Indians. 

"  From  Pontiac  and  his  warriors.  A  good  many 
are  on  the  river  to-night." 

"  And  why  more  to-night  than  any  other  time  ?  " 

"  You  must  ask  him,"  replied  the  other,  with 
something  like  a  chortle,  as  if  pleased  with  the 
situation. 

"  Neither  Major  Gladwyn  nor  any  of  us  fears  Pon- 
tiac and  all  the  imps  he  can  bring  together. ' ' 

"  Boast  not,  Asher,"  added  the  other,  recogniz- 
ing his  voice,  **  for  you  will  be  surprised  in  a  few 
days.     Take  the  advice  of  a  friend  and  get  back  to 


144        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

the  post  while  you  have  the  chance,  for  it  will  not  be 
yours  for  long." 

' '  I  thank  you  for  your  words,  and  will  be  on  my 
guard. ' ' 

While  this  brief  conversation  was  going  on,  Asher 
continued  to  edge  away  from  the  larger  boat,  for  he 
was  suspicious.  It,  too,  was  moving  off,  and  the 
words  given  were  the  last  that  were  exchanged. 
Immediately  the  two  craft  lost  sight  of  each  other. 

But  there  was  food  for  reflection  in  the  words  of 
the  Canadian,  whom  the  youth  did  not  identify, 
though  his  voice  had  a  familiar  sound.  The  Ottawa 
chieftain  was  a  restless  leader,  who  could  not  be 
content  to  sit  down  with  his  warriors  in  front  of 
Detroit  and  wait  for  the  garrison  to  yield  through 
starvation.  The  hostiles  had  kept  up  a  pestering 
fire  from  the  outbuildings,  as  has  been  shown,  until 
dislodged  by  the  hot  shot  which  burned  the  struc- 
tures ;  they  had  assailed  and  overwhelmed  Major 
Dalzell  and  his  command ;  had  attempted  to  destroy 
the  two  schooners  by  means  of  fire  rafts,  and  when- 
ever one  of  those  vessels  passed  up  or  down  the 
river,  it  was  running  a  gauntlet  between  the  Indian 
encampments  on  the  shores  of  the  stream.  While 
it  would  seem  that  the  chieftain  must  be  near  the 
end  of  his  resources,  yet  he  held  no  such  belief,  for 
the  besieging  forces  were  continually  increased  by 
the  arrival  of  warriors,  some  of  them  from  a  long 


OUTWITTED.  145 

distance.  All  were  in  buoyant  spirits,  bnnging  as 
they  did  news  of  the  fall  of  more  than  one  western 
post,  and  confident  that  Detroit  would  soon  be 
added  to  the  dismal  list  of  victims  to  Indian  treach- 
ery and  cunning. 

Pontiac's  fiery  speeches  to  these  reinforcements 
showed  that  his  hopes  were  higher  than  at  any  time 
since  the  failure  of  his  plan  to  surprise  Major  Glad- 
wyn.  It  would  seem,  therefore,  likely  that  there 
was  wisdom  in  the  warning  of  the  Canadian,  who 
advised  Asher  to  turn  back  while  he  had  the  chance 
to  do  so.  All  this  might  be  true,  indeed ;  neverthe- 
less, his  counsel  was  wasted  on  the  young  man,  who, 
hardly  waiting  until  they  were  hidden  from  sight, 
renewed  his  paddling  toward  the  eastern  bank. 

The  fog  had  now  become  a  cold  drizzle,  which 
soon  saturated  his  garments.  It  would  be  hard  to 
imagine  a  more  uncomfortable  night,  but  the  men 
who  lived  on  the  frontier  were  too  inurer^  to  hard- 
ship to  care  for  a  trifle  like  that.  The  moisture 
covered  his  face  and  hands,  trickled  from  his  hair 
and  seemed  to  soak  through  everything  with  which 
it  came  in  contact,  but  he  continued  to  sway  his 
paddle,  as  if  the  moon  were  shining  from  an  un- 
clouded sky. 

He  would  have  bjen  unpardonably  careless  had 

he  wholly  disregarded  the  words  of  his  friend.     He 

did  not  doubt  that  many  hostiles  were  on  the  river, 
10 


146        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

and  it  was  not  unlikely  that  a  large  number  of  them 
were  crossing  to  the  western  shore  with  some  new 
plan  of  attack  in  view.  He,  therefore,  propelled  his 
boat  with  unusual  care,  ceasing  after  every  few 
strokes,  and  listening  with  close  attention.  He  had 
a  habit  of  flitting  his  head  from  side  to  side  wkth  a 
bird-like  quickness,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  if  any 
suspicious  noise  was  heard,  he  learned  the  point  of 
the  compass  whence  it  came. 

It  was  because  of  this  extreme  caution  that  he 
had  gone  only  a  little  way  when  he  made  the  un- 
pleasant discovery  that  another  canoe  was  immedi- 
ately in  front  of  him.  Uncertain  as  to  its  course,  he 
ceased  paddling,  bent  his  head  and  intently  listened. 

To  his  surprise,  at  the  moment  of  doing  so,  the 
sound  of  paddling  stopped,  as  if  those  in  the  other 
boat  were  doing  the  same  as  himself.  Could  it  be 
that,  despite  his  extreme  care,  they  had  been 
equally  quick  to  detect  his  presence  ?  It  appeared 
hardly  possible,  but  he  was  wise  enough  to  act  upon 
the  theory.  He  moved  the  paddle  with  a  stealth 
that  prevented  all  betrayal,  heading  now  directly  up 
stream,  and  not  pausing  until  he  had  passed  several 
rods. 

Siill  he  failed  to  hear  anything,  but  once  he 
caught  something  in  the  nature  of  a  gentle  ripple 
from  the  direction  of  the  first  sound.  One  thing 
had  become  evident :  he  was  now  dealing  with  past 


OUTWITTED.  147 

masters  in  woodcraft.  He  was  doubtless  near  a 
party  of  Indians  who  knew  how  to  approach  a  foe 
or  intended  victim  without  betraying  themselves. 
Unexpectedly  he  had  run  into  peril,  when  he  had  no 
thought  of  it,  and  it  would  require  his  utmost  skill 
to  prevent  a  disastrous  failure  when  on  the  very 
threshold  of  his  enterprise. 

Asher  resolved  that  if  discovered  he  would  run  his 
boat  at  all  speed  against  the  eastern  bank,  which  was 
nearer  than  the  western  shore,  leap  out  and  take  to 
the  woods,  where  he  was  confident  of  eluding  a 
score  of  enemies. 

Suddenly  a  section  of  the  fog  near  the  surface  of 
the  river  seemed  to  become  denser.  While  he  won- 
dered what  it  meant,  he  saw  uncouth  figures  with 
swaying  arms,  growing  momentarily  more  distinct, 
until  he  resolved  them  into  men  who  were  guiding 
their  canoe  toward  him.  The  occupants  had  located 
him  and  were  near  at  hand. 

The  other  craft,  which  was  fully  as  large  as  the 
Canadian  one,  contained  as  many  persons,  and  was 
approaching  from  down  the  river,  so  that  it  was  as 
easy  to  speed  to  one  side  as  to  the  other.  Instead 
of  doing  so,  however,  the  youth  dipped  his  paddle 
deep  and  plied  it  with  all  the  power  at  his  com- 
mand. It  shot  forward,  like  the  flight  of  a  swallow, 
for  there  was  no  more  skilful  canoeist  than  Asher 
Norris. 


148         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

No  sound  came  from  the  pursuer,  whose  occupants 

at  once  bent  their  energies  to  the  task  of  overtaking 

him.     It  was  a  fair  chase,  and  only  a  few  minutes 

were  needed  to  decide  who  was  to  be  the  winner. 
Fearful  of  failure,  the  fugitive  sheered  his  boat 

toward  the  bank,  so  that,  if  worst  came  to  worst,  he 
would  have  the  wooded  shore  for  a  final  refuge,  but 
before  that  came  into  view  the  thrilling  fact  became 
apparent  that  he  could  travel  faster  than  the  others. 
The  dim  figures  and  the  boat  gradually  grew  indis- 
tinct, and  soon  faded  from  sight,  though  the  paddles 
were  swung  with  the  same  tremendous  vigor  as  if 
the  Indians  expected  to  tire  out  the  white  man. 

His  fortunate  escape  raised  the  spirits  of  Asher, 
who  still  veering  toward  land,  used  his  paddle  with 
astonishing  strength  and  skill. 

"  Doubtless  they  are  among  the  best  of  their 
tribe,  but  I  can  beat  them,  as  any  white  man  can 
beat  any  Indian  at  his  own  game " 

If  proof  were  needed  of  the  truth  of  the  Canad- 
ian's warning,  it  came  the  next  minute,  when  Asher, 
who  was  looking  to  the  rear  for  his  enemies,  discov- 
ered another  party  of  them  in  front.  The  familiar 
dip  of  paddles  brought  his  head  around  like  a  flash, 
and  there,  looming  out  of  the  fog,  was  a  second 
boat,  so  like  the  one  from  which  he  was  fleeing,  that 
he  would  have  believed  it  the  same  had  he  not 
known  that  the  thing  was  impossible. 


OUTWITTED.  149 

The  meeting  was  sc  sudden  that  he  knew  he  had 
been  seen,  and  the  only  escape  lay  in  the  means  he 
had  just  used.  Without  a  second's  hesitation,  he 
headed  his  canoe  toward  the  shore,  and  bent  all  the 
strength  and  cunning  of  his  nature  to  the  task. 

"  I  must  take  to  the  woods,"  was  his  thought, 
"  though,  if  they  begin  firing,  I  may  not  get  the 
chance,  but  here  goes  !  " 

It  was  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  boat  from 
which  he  had  just  fled  contained  the  best  canoeists, 
for  the  second  moved  more  swiftly.  Still,  although 
Asher  drew  away  from,  it  more  slowly,  he  none  the 
less  outsped  it,  and,  could  the  race  have  continued 
as  it  began,  it  would  not  have  taken  him  long  to 
leave  it  out  of  sight. 

His  dread  was  that  some  of  them  would  fire  at 
him.  The  drizzling  fog  made  it  hard  for  the  hunter 
of  the  olden  time  to  keep  his  powder  dry,  but  by 
care  he  could  do  so.  The  distance  between  the 
two  boats  was  so  short  that  a  shot  was  almost  sure 
to  be  fatal. 

The  young  man  could  not  know  how  far  he  had 
to  go  before  reaching  shore,  but  his  hope  was  that 
he  would  not  do  so  until  beyond  sight  of  his  ene- 
mies, for  it  was  important  that  they  should  not  know 
the  precise  point  where  he  landed,  since  they  might 
be  upon  him  before  he  could  get  away  or  hide 
himself. 


ISO        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

It  was  with  something  like  dismay,  therefore,  that 
while  his  last  pursuers  were  still  dimly  in  sight,  he 
caught  the  outlines  of  land,  with  the  dripping 
branches  impending  over  the  water.  Looking  back 
a  moment  later,  he  saw  that  the  large  canoe  was 
still  visible. 

Still  worse,  the  first  boat  came  into  sight  again. 
The  cunning  occupants  had  been  quick  to  catch  the 
situation,  and  the  two  were  now  converging  upon 
him.  At  best,  he  could  not  make  land  more  than  a 
few  seconds  in  advance. 

And  worst  of  all,  just  as  he  ha'^  headed  his  little 
craft  for  the  overhanging  limb,  a  ^lird  boat  put  out 
from  the  exact  spot!  He  was  surrounded,  and 
escape  was  impossible. 

"  It  's  all  up!  "  was  his  exclamation,  as  he  ceased 
paddling  and  resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

WALLED   IN. 

A  FTER  all  it  was  only  what  might  have  been 
-'^  expected.  Asher  Norris  had  set  out  to  do 
an  impossible  thing.  Not  only  did  he  fail  to 
bring  any  relief  to  the  missing  Madge  Linwood, 
but  he  himself  was  taken  captive.  Her  parents 
had  given,  even  amidst  their  grief,  the  soundest  of 
advice. 

It  was  an  extraordinary  conjunction  of  circum- 
stances that  brought  this  calamity  upon  him.  He 
had  proved  his  ability  to  outspeed  the  first  canoe 
that  discovered  him,  and  was  drawing  away  more 
slowly  from  the  second.  Slight  as  was  his  start, 
there  was  still  a  chance  that,  after  leaping  ashore, 
among  the  dense  undergrowth  and  trees,  where  the 
darkness  was  impenetrable,  he  could  save  himself; 
but  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  third  boat  issuing 
from  the  very  spot  toward  which  he  was  aiming,  and 
which  he  had  almost  reached,  dashed  every  hope  to 
the  earth. 

There  was  a  single  instant  when  he  gathered  his 
energies  for  a  desperate  dive  into  the  water,  with  a 

151 


152         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

view  of  coming  up  where  he  would  not  be  observed, 
but  his  enemies  were  too  close  on  every  hand.  He 
laid  down  his  paddle  beside  his  rifle  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe,  folded  his  arms  and  resigned  himself 
to  the  inevitable. 

The  three  large  canoes  so  graduated  their  speed 
that  in  a  few  seconds  they  were  on  the  sides  and  in 
front.  There  were  muttered  expressions  of  pleas- 
ure over  the  rapture,  and  it  was  with  feelings  which 
may  perhaps  ^e  imagined  that  the  young  man 
recognized  the  voice  of  Gray  Wolf,  who  came  so  near 
making  a  captive  of  him  the  night  before.  He  was 
in  the  boat  that  had  last  come  to  view,  darting  out 
from  the  overhanging  vegetation  along  the  shore. 
Apparently  he  was  the  most  delighted  of  the  entire 
party,  for  he  uttered  several  exclamations  in  his 
own  tongue  and  moved  about  with  a  childish  exu- 
berance of  spirits  rarely  seen  in  any  of  his  race. 

It  is  at  critical  moments  that  the  mind  is  most 
susceptible  to  trifles.  Sitting  with  arms  folded  and 
half  expecting  one  or  more  of  the  hostiles  to  sink 
their  tomahawks  in  his  brain,  the  prisoner  counted, 
twice  over,  the  three  parties  that  converged  around 
him.  There  were  eight  in  the  first  canoe,  seven  in 
the  second,  and  five  in  the  last.  Could  the  bravest 
man  be  censured  for  surrendering  to  a  score  of  his 
armed  enemies  ? 

It  might  look  like  a  compliment  to  the   young 


WALLED  IN.  153 

man  that  none  of  his  captors  offered  him  violence, 
but  he  was  too  wise  to  take  that  view.  To  have 
slain  him  then  and  there  would  have  been  the  end 
01  it  all.  The  American  Indian  does  not  favor  that 
method  of  disposing  of  prisoners.  There  are  sweet 
possibilities  in  the  way  of  torture  which  tempt  them 
to  make  the  most  of  their  opportunities.  Besides, 
Pontiac  himself  would  expect  to  be  consulted  as  to 
the  disposal  of  this  sturdy  young  man. 

One  of  the  warriors  placed  his  hand  on  the  gun- 
wale of  Asher's  canoe,  and  the  three  paddled  slowly 
down  stream,  not  halting  until  an  open  space  was 
reached,  which  served  as  a  sort  of  dock  for  the 
Canadian  residents.  Here  the  prows  touched  land, 
and,  obeying  a  gruff  command  in  broken  English, 
the  prisoner  stepped  ashore,  followed  by  a  half 
dozen  of  the  hostiles.  He  was  allowed  to  retain  his 
rifle,  and  as  yet  no  one  laid  hand  upon  him. 

A  conference  among  the  party  lasted  for  some 
minutes,  the  purpose  no  doubt  being  to  decide  upon 
the  right  course  to  follow.  At  the  conclusion,  most 
of  the  Indians  re-entered  their  canoes  and  paddled 
swiftly  out  upon  the  river,  where  they  passed  from 
sight.  The  signs  were  that  the  Canadian  told  the 
truth  about  Pontiac  having  important  business  on 
hand  that  night. 

Five  warriors  were  left  in  charge  of  Asher  Norris, 
and,  without  delay,  they  set  out  for  the   Ottawa 


154         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

encampment,  which  it  will  be  remembered  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  Canadian  settlement.  To  reach  it  they 
passed  between  the  houses  and  into  the  wood  beyond. 
The  slight  attention  which  they  attracted  from  the 
settlers  showed  how  accustomed  they  were  to  see  the 
Indians  that  were  besieging  Fort  Detroit.  One  or  two 
greetings  were  exchanged  between  acquaintances, 
but  the  redmen  moved  forward  without  turning  to 
the  right  or  left,  except  as  some  obstruction  pre- 
sented itself,  until  they  reached  their  village. 

This  aboriginal  settlement  consisted  of  more  than 
a  hundred  lodges,  made  of  bark  and  skins,  in  which 
lived  the  Ottawa  warriors  and  their  families.  Accus- 
tomed as  they  were  to  the  migratory  life  which  is  one 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  American  Indian,  these 
people  were  ready  to  move  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or 
night.  It  is  known  that  Pontiac  made  more  than  one 
such  removal  of  tribes  after  laying  siege  to  Detroit. 

It  has  been  shown  that  he  obtained  many  of  his 
supplies  from  the  Canadian  neighbors,  while  a  num- 
ber of  warriors  could  be  spared  most  of  the  time  to 
fish  in  the  river,  where  they  were  always  successful, 
or  to  hunt  in  the  woods  with  its  abundance  of  game. 
So  the  besiegers  of  the  frontier  post  were  never  in 
danger  of  suffering,  because  of  lack  of  food,  as  was 
the  case  more  than  once  with  those  whom  they 
besieged. 

There  is  little  of  an  attractive  nature  to  be  found 


IVALLED  IN.  155 

in  an  Indian  encampment.  The  people  have  never 
been  noted  for  their  cleanliness,  and  their  manner 
of  living  is  only  a  little  above  that  of  the  animals 
of  the  woods.  The  conical  tents  made  of  skins, 
sometimes  banked  around  with  dirt  in  winter,  are 
supported  by  several  poles,  spread  apart  at  the 
bottom  and  joined  at  the  top,  where  an  opening 
allows  the  smoke  to  go  out  and  the  rain  and  snow  to 
come  in.  Peltries,  and  sometimes  the  bare  ground, 
serve  as  couches,  the  choicest  being  appropriated  by 
the  head  of  the  primitive  household,  who  smokes 
and  grunts  and  eats  and  sleeps,  while  his  squaw  does 
the  work  and  drudgery. 

There  was  a  slight  modification  of  the  usual 
method  of  living,  because  the  Ottawas,  like  the 
other  tribes  in  the  neighborhood,  were  on  the  war- 
path. They  were  not  at  home  as  often  as  usual,  for 
their  chief  had  something  for  them  to  do,  and  they 
were  doing  it  with  appropriate  energy.  Thus  it 
happened  that  often  at  night  there  were  not  twenty 
warriors  in  the  village,  while  again  there  might  be 
ten  times  that  number. 

It  was  another  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  Cana- 
dian's words  that  when  Asher  Norris  entered  the 
Ottawa  encampment  few  other  persons  were  present 
except  the  women  and  children.  Important  move- 
ments evidently  were  on  foot,  and  the  men  were 
needed  elsewhere. 


156         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAIVAS. 

It  did  seem  to  Asher  that  his  captors  wrc  able  to 
read  his  thoughts.  He  knew  when  the  start  was 
made  from  the  shore  that  they  meant  to  take  him  to 
their  village,  and  he  resolved  that  if  the  slightest 
chance  offered  he  would  make  a  dash  for  freedom. 
But  the  chance  did  not  offer.  The  Indians  so  dis- 
posed themselves  that  they  were  on  every  side,  and  at 
the  first  movement  on  his  part  he  would  have  been 
not  only  checked  but  savagely  stricken  to  the  ground. 
So  he  walked  as  peaceably  to  the  encampment  as  if 
he  lived  there  and  was  returning  to  his  own  home. 

The  action  of  his  captors  indicated  that  they  had 
already  selected  his  prison,  for  with  the  same  direct- 
ness as  before,  they  picked  their  way  amid  the 
tepees,  from  a  number  of  which  glowed  the  dull 
light  of  fires,  to  a  lodge  near  the  centre  of  the  vil- 
lage. The  leading  warrior,  who  was  Gray  Wolf, 
drew  aside  the  flap  and  said : 

"  Go  in,  lay  down,  rest!  " 

Asher  ducked  his  head  to  obey.  As  he  was  pass- 
ing the  Indian  reached  out  and  laid  his  hand  on  his 
gun.  The  youth  was  hopeful  that  he  would  still  be 
allowed  to  retain  it,  but  such  indulgence  would  have 
been  remarkable.  He  could  not  resist,  and  so  his 
cherished  weapon  went  into  the  possession  of  his 
bitter  enemy.  He  was  allowed  to  keep  his  hunting 
knife,  but  its  value  was  not  to  be  compared  with 
that  of  the  other  weapon. 


WALLED  m.  157 

One  surprise  followed  another.  Naturally  he 
expected  to  find  persons  in  the  tepee,  but  he  was 
entirely  alone.  The  tent  was  five  or  six  yards  in 
diameter,  made  of  buffalo  skins,  with  the  furry  side 
turned  inward.  Through  the  opening  in  the  apex 
of  the  cone  the  chilling  rain  trickled  to  the  earth, 
just  missing  the  fire  that  was  burning  a  little  to  one 
side  of  the  middle  of  the  apartment.  This  fire  had 
been  recently  replenished,  for  its  warmth  and  glow 
filled  the  interior. 

The  other  evidence  of  occupancy  was  a  couple  of 
buffalo  robes  at  one  side  of  the  lodge,  upon  which, 
after  a  brief  hesitation,  Asher  seated  himself  with  a 
sigh,  half  of  wonderment  and  half  of  despair. 

"  Well,"  he  said  grimly,  "  I  set  out  for  the  Otta- 
wa  village,  and  I  have  reached  it ;  I  certainly  have 
been  successful  so  far,  but  what  lies  beyond  ?  " 

Aye,  that  was  the  question. 

He  surveyed  the  interior  of  the  lodge  more  crit- 
ically. Although  the  fire  was  burning  strongly, 
there  was  a  pile  of  wood  near  at  hand,  so  that  more 
could  be  used  when  needed.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  fire  lay  a  tomahawk  that  had  evidently  been 
used  in  breaking  the  fuel,  but  there  was  no  sign  of 
recent  cooking,  and,  but  for  the  blankets  on  which 
he  was  seated,  he  would  have  believed  that  the  tepee 
had  just  been  put  up  and  was  awaiting  occupancy. 

After  his  entrance,  Gray  Wolf  had  let  the  flap  of 


158         POXTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

the  tent  fall  back,  so  that  it  may  be  said  the  prisoner 
was  walled  in,  the  only  door  thus  being  closed. 
True,  his  hunting  knife  would  open  a  new  egress  at 
any  part  of  the  wall,  but  it  was  not  likely  to  prove 
of  advantage  to  him,  since  it  was  unsupposable  that 
his  captors  would  leave  him  wholly  to  himself. 

Here  and  there  the  sides  of  the  tepee  had  been 
patched,  the  thread  employed  being  deer  sinews, 
so  that  it  was  quite  compact  and  secure,  with  the 
exception  of  the  chimney,  through  which  the  misty 
rain  continued  to  find  its  way.  On  the  whole,  his 
treatment  up  to  this  point  was  far  more  considerate 
than  he  had  a  right  to  expect. 

The  belief  of  Asher  Norris  was  that  he  would  be 
yii  alone  until  morning,  or  at  least  until  Pontiac's 
wishes  could  be  known.  The  chief  was  absent  with 
his  wawiors  and  was  not  likely  to  return  for  a  num- 
ber of  hours.  When  he  should  do  that,  the  young 
man  would  speedily  learn  his  fate. 

This  decision  on  his  part  gave  him  abundance  of 
time  to  reflect  upon  the  errand  that  had  been  the 
cause  of  his  mishap.  His  heart  gave  a  quicker  throb 
at  the  thought  that  Madge  was  probably  at  that 
moment  within  sound  of  his  voice. 

"  It  may  be  she  is  in  the  adjoining  lodge,"  he 
added,  turning  his  head,  as  if  he  half  expected  to 
see  her. 

"  Yes,  she  may  be,"  he  added  the  next  minute, 


WALLED  m,  159 

"  but  she  might  as  well  be  a  mile  distant,  for  all  the 
good  I  can  do  her.  *  * 

He  reclined  upon  the  furs,  and,  leaning  his  head 
on  his  elbow,  gazed  into  the  fire,  bitterly  reflecting 
upon  the  cruel  fate  that  had  overtaken  him.  But  it 
was  only  a  characteristic  of  human  nature  that  the 
uppermost  thought  in  his  mind  was  that  of  escape. 
Desperate  as  was  the  outlook,  he  could  not  believe 
the  chance  was  wholly  absent.  He  was  too  sensible 
to  believe  that  his  enemies  were  not  watching  around 
the  tepee,  alert  for  such  attempt  on  his  part.  It 
might  be  indeed  that  they  hoped  to  tempt  him  to 
make  the  essay. 

But  as  the  night  progressed  he  intended  to  allow 
the  fire  to  sink ;  most  of  the  people  in  the  village 
would  be  asleep ;  instead  of  passing  out  of  the  door, 
he  would  cut  an  opening  through  the  skins  at  the 
rear  of  his  couch  and  steal  noiselessly  out  into  the 
darkness,  leaping  to  his  feet  and  making  off  before 
the  sentinels  knew  what  he  was  doing. 

This,  apparently,  vvas  a  reasonable  scheme,  but  it 
must  await  the  critical  test.  Occasionally  he  he«rd 
sounds  of  voices,  and  now  and  then  the  step  of  some 
Indian  as  he  slouched  past  the  tepee,  but  these  dis- 
turbances became  less  frequent,  and  after  a  time  it 
seemed  as  if  slumber  had  settled  upon  the  whole 
village 

The  lire  had  smouldered  until  the  dull  illumina- 


l6o        PONT/AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

tion  barely  filled  the  dismal  interior.  At  first  Asher 
flung  a  few  sticks  on  the  blaze,  but  after  it  had  died 
out  again  he  decided  to  let  it  alone.  The  drizzling 
rain  ceased  and  the  wind  soughed  mournfully 
through  the  forest,  while  the  stillness  became  so 
profound  that  it  was  easy  to  fancy  himself  in  the 
depth  of  the  solitude,  with  every  living  person  hun- 
dreds of  miles  distant. 

"  I  may  be  doing  wrong,"  thought  the  young 
man,  whose  nerves  were  too  wrought  up  for  him  to 
sleep,"  but  I  '11  try  it." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


WHO  WAS  SHE  ? 


AS  near  as  Asher  Norris  could  judge  it  was  about 
midnight.  The  few  ennbers  at  the  side  of  the 
lodge  cast  flickering  shadows  through  the  interior 
and  against  the  furs  that  composed  the  walls  of  the 
aboriginal  structure.  For  an  hour  he  had  heard 
nothing  of  his  enemies,  the  only  sounds  being  the 
mournful  sighing  of  the  night  wind  through  the 
branches  of  the  trees.  The  Indian  village,  unlike 
many  others,  seemed  to  be  altogether  wanting  in 
dogs,  for  not  a  howl  or  bark  broke  upon  the  hollow 
silence. 

Once  the  prisoner  fancied  he  heard  the  reports  of 
several  guns  from  the  direction  of  the  fort.  When 
they  sounded  again,  he  knew  it  was  not  fancy. 

"  Pontiac  is  at  work;  I  cannot  guess  what  his 
new  plot  is,  but  surely  he  will  not  find  Major 
Gladwyn  unprepared ;  the  months  that  have  passed 
have  given  him  time  to  learn  every  possible  wile  of 
the  wretches.  ' 

The  plan  of  the  captive  has  already  been  inti- 
mated; it  was  to  slit  the  buffalo  wall  at  his  side,  so 


16, 


1 62         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

as  to  allow  him  to  pass  through.  To  rise  to  his  feet 
and  walk  or  even  leap  to  the  door  would  be  to  leap 
as  it  were  into  the  arms  of  his  foes.  That  they 
would  be  quick  to  learn  of  his  flight,  if  made  as  he 
contemplated,  was  self  evident.  His  chance,  there- 
fore, lay  in  his  celerity  of  movement.  It  was  reason- 
able to  believe  that,  vigilant  as  were  the  sentinels, 
none  of  them  was  immediately  at  the  spot  where  he 
intended  to  make  his  dash  for  freedom.  Once  upon 
the  outside,  his  reliance  was  upon  the  stygian  dark- 
ness and  his  own  skill  in  concealing  his  movements. 

Before  acting,  he  revolved  another  scheme  in 
mind.  That  was  to  roll  up  one  of  the  buffalo  robes 
so  that  in  the  obscurity,  it  would  be  mistaken  for 
his  body,  by  th  '  that  were  peering  into  the  tent. 
The  difficulty,  however,  in  this  was  that  the  action 
necessary  was  almost  sure  to  draw  attention  and 
rouse  suspicion. 

"  It  won't  do,"  was  his  conclusion. 

He  was  lying  on  his  side,  with  his  face  turned  so 
that  he  could  see  the  fire  and  the  flap  beyond. 
Occasionally  the  latter  trembled,  as  if  from  the 
wind,  though  it  was  so  faintly  seen  in  the  obscurity 
that  the  cause  might  have  been  something  else, 
without  his  being  able  to  determine  the  fact. 

Twice  Asher  Norris  fancied  he  heard  a  slight 
noise,  whose  nature  he  could  not  understand.  It 
was  so  faint  that  he  could  not  fix  the  point  whence 


WHO  WAS  SHE?  163 

it  came)  though  of  necessity  it  was  outside  the  tepee. 
He  turned  his  head  in  different  directions,  and  was 
annoyed  at  his  failure  to  identify  it.  Finally  he 
concluded  that  it  was  made  by  something  rubbing 
against  the  outside  of  the  lodge. 

With  this  belief  came  little  enlightenment,  though 
it  raised  a  new  hope.  At  first  he  thought  it  might 
be  a  prowling  animal,  but  the  disturbance  was  not 
such  as  would  have  been  produced  by  that  cause. 
The  result  of  his  intense  listening  was  that  at  the 
end  of  a  few  more  minutes  he  located  the  spot.  It 
was  between  him  and  the  smouldering  fire ;  that  is, 
not  more  than  six  feet  beyond  where  his  head  was 
resting  on  the  buffalo  robe. 

Some  one  was  cutting  into  the  side  of  the  lodge ! 

Like  a  flash  the  truth  came  upon  him,  and  almost 
stopped  the  beating  of  his  heart,  for  with  the  know- 
ledge was  the  belief  that  it  was  a  friend  that  was 
trying  in  that  cautious  way  to  open  communication, 
with  a  view  of  helping  him  to  regain  his  freedom. 

Acting  on  the  impulse,  Asher  raised  his  head  and 
peered  intently  toward  the  point.  He  regretted  the 
sluggishness  of  the  fire,  for  the  light  was  so  dim  that 
he  could  discern  nothing  unusual,  and,  fearing  he 
had  done  an  imprudent  thing,  he  sank  back  again, 
making  his  action  like  that  of  a  person  moving  un- 
consciously in  his  sleep.  He  felt  that  he  ought  to 
have  awaited  further  developments  before  letting  it 


164         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

be  known  that  he  was  aware  of  what  was  going  on. 
Second  thought  convinced  him  that  it  was  as  likely 
to  be  a  friend  as  an  enemy  at  work. 

That  he  was  right  in  his  supposition  that  some 
person  was  busy  on  the  outside  of  the  tepee  was 
curiously  demonstrated  within  the  following  two  or 
three  minutes.  Although  a  chilly  August  storm  had 
been  raging  for  hours,  the  long-continued  fire  in  the 
lodge  made  the  interior  close  and  warm.  The  small 
opening  at  the  apex  did  not  give  sufficient  draft  to 
lower  the  atmosphere  within. 

There  was  a  perceptible  coolness  in  the  air  about 
his  head.  A  slight  current  was  coming  in  from  the 
outside,  and,  passing  over  him,  found  its  escape 
through  the  orifice  at  the  top  of  the  lodge.  The 
inference  was  clear ;  an  opening  had  been  cut  into 
the  side  of  the  tepee. 

The  slight  abrading  sound  that  had  puzzled  him 
was  heard  no  more,  for  the  reason  that  whoever 
was  at  work  had  finished.     The  opening  was  made. 

This  new  intrusion  upon  his  plans  held  the  youth 
undecided  what  to  do.  He  could  not  know  whether 
a  friend  or  an  enemy  was  near  him,  and  until  some 
sign  was  made  prudence  suggested  that  he  do  noth- 
ing. The  difficulty  of  seeing  plainly  in  the  dim  light 
was  increased  by  the  fact  that,  as  will  be  remem- 
bered, the  fur  sides  of  the  buffalo  robes  composing 
the  walls  of  the  tepee  were  turned  inward.     These 


WHO  WAS  SHEf  165 

being  of  a  dark  color,  so  harmonized  with  the 
blackness  of  the  outside  that  an  opening  a  foot  in 
diameter  would  not  have  been  visible  a  couple  of 
paces  away.  It  was  the  inward  flow  of  air  that  told 
the  story. 

There  was  an  obvious  remedy  for  this  :  he  had 
but  to  reach  out  and  throw  some  additional  sticks 
on  the  fire.  The  flare  would  fill  the  interior  with 
light  and  settle  at  once  one  part  of  the  question. 
It  was  the  fear  that  the  individual  was  an  enemy, 
who,  mistaking  the  meaning  of  the  action,  would 
fire  upon  him.  In  truth,  Asher  had  a  shuddering 
dread  that  some  foe,  more  malignant  than  the 
others,  was  seeking  to  slay  him  through  this  secret 
means. 

This  doubt,  perplexity,  and  misgiving  became 
such  a  strain  upon  his  nerves  that  he  would  have 
been  forced  to  end  it  by  some  means,  had  it  not 
been  terminated  in  a  way  as  sudden  as  unexpected. 

One  of  the  smouldering  embers  fell  apart,  sending 
a  glare  through  the  tepee  which  lasted  only  a  few 
seconds,  but  long  enough  to  show  not  only  the 
opening  in  the  side,  but  a  small,  round,  glistening 
object  beyond  which  he  knew  was  a  human  eye. 
Some  one  was  peering  through  the  slit  at  him.  Not 
only  that,  but  the  person  held  the  slight  opening 
apart  with  his  finger,  the  point  of  which  was  visible 
at  the  lower  edge. 


1 66        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAlVAS. 

Whether  he  was  a  friend  or  enemy,  Asher  meant 
that  he  should  know  he  was  seen.  Before  the  illu- 
mination had  gone  out,  he  raised  himself  on  his  elbow 
and  looked  straight  at  the  eye  which  was  looking  at 
him.  Then,  as  obscurity  came  again,  he  sank  back 
on  his  couch,  wondering  what  it  all  meant. 

Once  more  an  unexpected  intervention  had 
stopped  the  carrying  out  of  the  plan  he  had  formed, 
and  which  he  was  on  the  eve  of  putting  into  exe- 
cution. The  presence  of  a  man  on  the  outside,  so 
near  to  where  the  captive  would  have  had  to  make 
his  exit,  showed  the  impossibility  of  escaping.  In- 
deed, it  was  folly  to  suppose  that  after  the  party  of 
Ottawas  had  made  him  captive  and  placed  him  in 
prison,  they  would  allow  him  the  slightest  chance  of 
getting  away.  To  slash  the  robe  and  creep  out, 
expecting  to  rise  to  his  feet  and  make  ofT,  was  as  far 
beyond  his  power  as  it  was  to  beat  off  the  twenty 
warriors  when  they  surrounded  him  in  their  canoes. 

The  shivering  dread  that  one  of  the  miscreants, 
probably  Gray  Wolf,  was  seeking  the  means  of 
secretly  slaying  him,  led  Asher  to  roll  aside  and  to 
jumble  up  the  robes,  which  he  hoped  would  be  mis- 
taken for  his  body  in  the  gloom  and  receive  the  shot 
intended  for  him.  But  no  such  shot  was  fired,  and 
he  listened,  thinking  that  the  Indian  might  make 
another  opening  closer  to  him  through  which  to 
thrust  his  arm  and  strike  him  with  his  knife. 


IV NO  WAS  SHE?  167 

"  He  shall  not  find  me  unprepared  for  that," 
muttered  the  youth  with  compressed  lips,  half  wish- 
ing the  attempt  might  be  made. 

There  was  but  one  conclusion  to  reach;  escape 
was  out  of  the  question,  at  least  on  this  night  and 
under  these  circumstances,  and  he  could  only  wait 
and  trust  to  heaven,  to  which  he  appealed,  that  the 
future  might  open  some  way  out  of  his  affliction. 

"  Good  heavens!  why  did  I  not  think  of  it  ?  " 

The  light  broke  upon  him  like  a  lightning's  flash. 
The  finger  which  he  had  looked  upon  for  a  moment,  as 
it  curled  over  the  lower  part  of  the  slit  in  the  buffalo 
robe,  was  small  and  well  shaped.  He  saw  enough  of 
it  to  notice  that.  It  could  not  have  been  the  finger 
of  a  warrior  or  of  a  man,  but  belonged  to  a  woman. 

Who  was  she  ? 

Strange  that  the  fact  did  not  impress  him  at  the 
time.  How  blind  he  was  not  to  see  that  which 
should  have  been  as  notable  as  the  glistening  of  the 
eye  itself ! 

Could  it  have  been  Madge  Linwood  ? 

The  question  almost  took  away  his  breath.  For  one 
moment  he  was  certain  it  was  she,  but  sober  reflection 
is  a  great  dampener  of  hope,  and  he  was  speedily 
forced  to  see  that  such  could  not  have  been  the  fact. 

/*  If  Madge  is  in  this  village,  she  would  not  be 
permitted  the  liberty  that  would  allow  her  to  do  a 
thing  like  that.     Above  all,  had  it  been  she,  she 


1 68         POX T/ AC,  CHIEF  OF  TITE  OTTAWA S. 

would  have  spoken  or  found  some  way  of  letting 
me  know  it!  " 

A  second  female  came  into  his  thoughts — Catha- 
rine, the  Ojibwagirl,  the  supposed  friend  of  Pontiac 
and  the  Ottawas,  but  the  invaluable  friend  of  the 
imperilled  white  men  at  Detroit.  She  was  permitted 
full  freedom  of  action,  and  there  was  nothing  improb- 
able in  the  thought  that  she  had  taken  this  method 
of  gaining  sight  of  the  hapless  prisoner.  Not  wishing 
the  sentinels  to  know  that  she  had  any  interest  in  or 
cared  for  him,  she  refrained  from  entering  by  way  of 
the  door,  but  cut  a  hole  in  the  skin  wall  in  order  to 
identify  the  captive.  Fortunately  the  raising  of  his 
head  at  the  moment  of  the  temporary  lighting  up  of 
the  room  made  that  identification  positive. 

"  Catharine  learned  that  the  Ottawas  had  brought 
in  a  prisoner,  and,  waiting  until  she  was  believed  to 
be  asleep,  she  set  out  to  learn  who  he  was.  Can  it 
be  that  Madge  heard  the  news,  and  sent  her  ? ' ' 

It  was  a  perplexing  situation  in  which  the  youth 
found  himself,  and  while  still  striving  to  find  his 
way  out  of  the  labyrinth,  he  fell  asleep.  Nature 
will  assert  herself,  and  he  did  not  open  his  eyes 
again  until  the  sun  was  above  the  horizon. 

It  took  several  minutes  for  Asher  to  recall  the 
events  of  the  preceding  night,  and  to  remember 
where  he  was.  When  he  looked  about  him,  he  saw 
that  he  had  company.     A  squaw,   bent,   haggard, 


WHO  IVAS  SffEt  169 

and  gaunt,  fully  three-score  and  ten  years  of  age, 
had  started  the  fire  afresh  and  was  cooking  some 
kind  of  meat  over  the  blaze,  by  skewering  it  upon 
sticks  and  holding  it  above  the  flames.  Asher  rose 
to  a  sitting  posture  and  called  out : 

"  Good  morning!  " 

The  old  woman  acted  as  if  she  did  not  hear  him, 
and  thought  him  still  asleep. 

"  White  people  are  not  the  only  ones  who  become 
deaf,"  thought  the  youth  ;  "  I  wish  I  had  some 
water  for  my  hands  and  face,  but  what  's  the  use  of 
asking  a  person  who  cannot  hear  a  word  ?  At  any 
rate,  I  'm  hungry,  and  that  meat  smells  good." 

He  held  his  sitting  position  until  she  looked  round 
and  saw  him.  As  he  met  her  eye,  he  nodded,  but 
the  little  twinkling  bead-like  orbs  seemed  to  be 
blind,  for  she  gave  no  response.  The  meat  was 
prepared,  and  she  suddenly  flung  it  toward  him. 

Asher  caught  it  on  the  fly,  and  speedily  ate  it  with 
the  relish  that  youth  and  high  health  gave. 

* '  Thank  you ;  it  is  very  good,  mother. '  * 

She  had  employed  herself  in  eating,  and  did  not 
finish  as  soon  as  the  prisoner,  who  was  still  watch- 
ing her  with  curious  interest,  when  the  flap  of  the 
door  was  drawn  aside  and  an  Indian  warrior  strode 
into  the  tepee. 

One  glance  at  the  intruder  was  sufficient :  he  was 
Pontiac,  chief  of  the  Ottawas. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


PONTIAC. 


PONTIAC,  chief  of  the  Ottawas,  was  of  medium 
height,  rather  stockily  built,  with  strong  fea- 
tures, which  would  have  been  less  attractive  but 
for  their  stamp  of  intellectuality  and  their  un- 
mistakable impress  of  greatness.  No  one  could  look 
at  that  face  without  noting  his  superiority  over  his 
followers.  There  was  a  flash  of  the  black  eye,  a  curl 
of  the  thin  lips,  a  knitting  of  the  brows  and  a  gen- 
eral air  of  thoughtfulness  and  a  lofty  bearing  which 
marked  him  as  a  born  leader. 

But  this  famous  sachem  lacked  the  fine  ingrained 
nobility  which  distinguished  Tecumseh,  the  Shawa- 
noe.  While  he  had  many  of  the  traits  that  his 
partisans  lacked,  he  possessed  all  their  vices,  the 
cunning,  and  the  treachery  which  are  characteristics 
of  his  race.  His  burning  ambition  was  to  destroy 
or  at  least  to  injure  the  white  people,  and  in  carry- 
ing out  that  resolution,  no  consideration  of  honor 
nor  any  plighted  word  interposed.  When  messen- 
gers went  to  him  from  Major  Gladwyn  at  his  own 
request  to  confer  over  their  trouble,  he  held  them 

170 


PONTIAC.  171 

prisoners  and  put  one  to  death.  The  other  would 
have  been  slain  had  he  not  effected  his  escape. 
Pontiac  professed  the  warmest  friendship  for  the 
commandant,  while  plotting  the  massacre  of  himself 
and  garrison.  His  first  visit,  under  the  guise  of 
good  will,  was  intended,  as  we  have  shown,  to  open 
the  way  for  slaying  every  white  person  in  Detroit. 
He  was  brave  but  treach-^rous,  able  but  dishonor- 
able, and  shrewd,  but  altogether  untrustworthy. 

Few  understood  the  chieftain  better  than  Asher 
Norris,  who,  recognizing  the  head  and  front  of 
the  gigantic  cdispiracy,  as  he  entered  the  lodge, 
promptly  rose  to  his  feet  and  made  a  military  salute. 
They  had  met  before  and  knew  each  other  well. 
Aware  that  the  Ottawa  spoke  English  fluently,  the 
youth  addressed  him : 

"  I  greet  my  brother,  the  great  leader  of  the  Ot- 
tawas  and  of  other  tribes  who  are  proud  to  fight 
under  Pontiac." 

As  an  impromptu  this  was  creditable  in  the  way 
of  compliment,  of  which  the  American  Indian  is 
fond,  but  it  may  have  been  that  it  was  because  Pon- 
tiac was  so  accustomed  to  fliattery  that  it  produced 
no  visible  effect.  He  looked  steadily  into  the  face 
of  the  youth  who  met  the  gaze  unflinchingly  while 
waiting  for  him  to  respond. 

**  Why  is  the  white  man  in  the  lodge  of  Wa- 
mo-aka?"     was   the    demand,    as  if    Asher  had 


172         lONTJAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

forced  his  presence  into  a  place  where  it  was  not 
welcome. 

"  The  warriors  of  Pontiac  took  me  a  prisoner  last 
night  and  brought  me  here ;  if  it  is  the  will  of  Pon- 
tiac that  I  shall  depart,  I  will  do  so." 

But  it  was  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  the  chief- 
tain held  any  such  wish.  He  was  not  in  the  habit 
of  returning  prisoners. 

"  Where  was  the  white  man  when  my  warriors 
made  him  captive  ?  "  he  asked. 

**  In  my  canoe,  paddling  on  the  river." 

"  Why  in  your  canoe  and  paddling  on  the  river  ?  " 

"  One  of  the  fathers  at  Detroit  has  lost  his  daugh- 
ter; the  hearts  of  the  parents  are  sad  because  she 
comes  not  back  to  them ;  I  was  looking  for  her." 

"  Did  the  white  man  find  her  ?  " 

"  I  did  not;  I  have  not  seen  her;  I  know  not 
where  she  is." 

Asher  doubted  whether  these  words  were  wise. 
If  Pontiac  learned  that  he  loved  Madge  Lin  wood, 
his  hatred  would  be  inflamed.  Probably  he  had 
brought  about  the  death  of  Pierre  Muire  because 
the  Canadian  had  dared  to  love  her,  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  was  not  to  be  doubted  that  the  chief 
intended  to  slay  his  prisoner  without  this  additional 
incentive.  Consequently  Asher  was  in  the  deplor- 
able dilemma  which  could  be  made  no  worse  by  any 
word  or  act  of  hisi. 


PONTIAC.  173 

He  hoped  to  gain  a  clue  in  the  reply  of  the  sachem, 
but  was  disappointed. 

"  The  white  man  has  not  the  eye  of  the  Indian: 
he  cannot  see  in  the  night,  like  the  owl  and  the 
Ottawa." 

'  *  The  words  of  Pontiac  are  true ;  I  have  not  seen 
the  child  of  my  friend;  the  eyes  of  Pontiac  are 
keener  than  those  of  the  white  man. 

Still  the  chief  refused  to  accept  the  hint. 

"  Does  the  white  man  love  the  daughter  of  th^ 
pale  faces  ?  * ' 

It  was  a  startling  question,  whose  meaning  Asher 
Norris  penetrated,  but  he  cleverly  parried  the  danger. 

"  All  who  know  the  child  of  my  friend  love  her, 
for  she  is  good  and  kind;  the  redmen  and  women 
love  her  and  would  shield  her  from  harm." 

The  glittering  eyes  of  the  chieftain  flashed,  and 
his  thin  lips  closed  over  his  teeth.  He  seemed  to 
look  through  his  prisoner.  Almost  any  one  would 
have  quailed  before  that  burning  gaze,  but  the 
youth  did  not  waver.  He  sought  to  give  the 
impression  that  he  suspected  no  wrong  and  trusted 
the  chief,  when  in  truth  he  looked  upon  him  as  he 
would  have  looked  upon  a  coiled  rattlesnake. 

It  would  have  been  interesting  could  any  one 
have  interpreted  the  thoughts  that  surged  in  the 
brain  of  the  dusky  leader,  but  who  but  himself  could 
do  so  ?    Asher  read  the  meaning  of  his  question. 


174        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

but  he  had  evaded  an  answer  with  no  little  skill.  If 
he  supposed,  however,  the  sachem  would  rest  con- 
tent with  preliminary  defeat,  he  was  mistaken. 

"  Does  the  white  man  love  her  more  than  do 
others?" 

Having  in  mind  the  parents  of  Madge,  Asher  felt 
he  was  speaking  only  the  truth,  when  he  replied : 

"No;  she  is  good  to  all;  therefore  all  love  her." 

Deceitful  and  untruthful  himself,  Pontiac  (as  was 
proved  by  his  subsequent  course)  did  not  believe 
these  words ;  but  he  must  have  seen  that  it  was  idle 
to  pursue  that  line  further. 

"  Major  Gladwyn  is  an  evil  man,"  he  said, 
abruptly  changing  the  range  of  his  remarks;  "  he 
speaks  with  a  double  tongue ;  he  is  like  the  serpent 
in  the  grass  which  striken  when  no  one  sees  it.  * ' 

There  was  no  way  of  agreeing  with  this  sentiment 
without  violating  truth,  which  Asher  Norris  would 
not  do  to  save  his  own  life.  Major  Gladwyn  was 
not  a  man  to  speak  with  a  "  double  tongue,"  for 
his  sense  of  honor  was  exalted.  It  was  Pontiac  that 
had  gone  to  him  with  lies  on  his  lips. 

"  All  men  speak  with  a  double  tongue,  when  the 
Great  Spirit  tells  them  to  do  so,"  was  the  rather 
lame  declaration  of  the  captive ;  * '  when  the  redman 
wishes  to  outwit  the  white  man  he  makes  a  cloud 
before  his  eyes  so  that  the  white  man  does  not  see 
that  which  hides  his  face. ' ' 


PONTIAC.  175 

Possibly  Pontiac  saw  in  these  words  a  veiled  allu- 
sion to  himself,  but,  if  so,  he  did  not  resent  it. 

' '  Detroit  will  soon  be  gone !  "  he  exclaimed  with 
an  energy  as  sudden  as  it  was  startling ;  *  *  the  fort 
and  all  the  houses  shall  be  burned  and  the  white 
men  and  women  shall  become  the  prisoners  of  Pon- 
tiac." 

The  high  spirit  of  the  prisoner  would  not  allow 
him  to  accept  this  bombast  without  protest.  Why 
attempt  to  curry  favor  with  a  miscreant  whom  noth- 
ing could  induce  to  be  merciful  or  chivalrous  ? 

"  Pontiac  has  spoken  these  words  many  times; 
why  does  he  wait  ? ' ' 

' '  Because  he  is  merciful ;  he  will  give  the  white 
men  and  women  time  to  prepare  for  that  which  they 
know  is  coming." 

This  was  truly  an  aboriginal  way  of  stating  the 
case,  but  it  was  hardly  convincing  to  the  prisoner. 

'*  Pontiac  has  tried  to  capture  the  fort,  but  he 
failed ;  Major  Gladwyn  is  stronger  than  before.  He 
has  more  men;  he  has  powder;  he  has  plenty  of 
food." 

"  It  is  a  lie!  He  has  not  more  men!  Where  is 
Dalzell  ?  Where  are  the  hundred  white  men  who 
fell  with  him  ?    The  white  man  speaks  lies !  " 

In  one  sense  Pontiac  had  truth  on  his  side,  for 
unquestionably  Detroit  was  weaker  than  just  before 
the  fearful  repulse  at  Bloody  Ridge,  but  Asher  Nor- 


.iiiit. 


1/6         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAH^AS. 

ris  referred  to  the  steady  and  certain  improvement 
in  the  situation  of  the  besieged  fort. 

"  Pontiac  speaks  with  a  single  tongue :  many  of  the 
white  men  fell  with  Major  Dalzell,  as  did  many  war- 
riors, but  others  have  come ;  the  palisades  and  the  fort 
are  strong ;  the  sentinels  do  not  sleep ;  they  have 
more  powder  and  bullets  than  they  need ;  they  have 
no  fear  of  Pontiac  and  his  warriors ;  they  know  they 
are  safe. ' ' 

Certainly  these  were  brave  words  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  Asher  was  doubtful  as  to  their 
reception,  but  the  chieftain  seemed  inclined  to 
wordy  rather  than  physical  warfare. 

"  The  redmen  are  like  the  leaves  on  the  trees; 
they  are  coming  to  Pontiac;  the  Pottawatomies, 
the  Wyandots  and  Ojibwas  are  here;  the  Sioux  are 
on  the  war-path ;  the  chiefs  of  the  Creeks  and  Choc- 
taws  and  their  warriors  fill  a  thousand  canoes  that 
are  hurrying  up  the  Mississippi  to  Pontiac ;  the  Iro- 
quois, the  children  of  Hiawatha,  whose  name  makes 
the  white  men  tremble,  are  treading  the  forests  from 
the  great  water  toward  the  rising  sun,  with  their 
faces  toward  Detroit;  when  they  come  they  will 
crush  Major  Gladwyn  and  his  soldiers  like  the  grass- 
hoppers in  their  path." 

Of  this  tremendous  boast  it  may  be  said  that  it 
was  "  important,  if  true."  That  Pontiac  would 
secure  more  allies  was  extremely  probable,  but  in 
the  meantime,  what  of  the  defenders  of  Detroit  ? 


Page  777. 


AN   UNEXrECTED    FRIEND. 


•i.      V, 


■■  .1.  .    U  :   ' 


PONTIAC.  177 

"  The  redmen  are  but  a  handful  to  the  white 
men;  King  Philip  tried  to  slay  them,  when  they 
were  few,  but  he  was  killed  and  his  warriors  driven 
into  the  wilderness ;  it  will  be  so  again  with  Pon- 
tiac;  does  he  think  that  Major  Gladwyn  has  been 
forgotten  by  his  white  brothers  ?  No;  they  will 
send  thousands  of  soldiers  with  little  and  big  guns, 
so  that  the  redmen  will  flee  in  affright  to  the  woods. " 

By  this  time  the  chieftain  must  have  concluded 
that  his  prisoner  was  capable  of  drawing  as  long  a 
bow  as  he.  Instead  of  replying  with  another  vaunt, 
he  continued  looking  into  his  countenance  with  the 
same  piercing  gaze,  while  Asher  Norris  met  the  look 
with  an  unwavering  stare.  Meanwhile,  the  old 
woman,  who  was  probably  Wa-mo-aka,  had  left  the 
tepee,  and  the  two  were  alone. 

The  position  of  the  captor  and  captive  was  such 

that  the  back  of  the  former  was  toward  the  flap  which 

served  as  a  door,  while  the  youth  faced  it.     It  was 

at  this  point  in  the  conversation  that  Asher  saw 

the  flap  pulled  noiselessly  aside  for  the  space  of  a  few 

inches,  a  face  thrust  forward  and  immediately  with- 
drawn. 

Brief  as  was  the  interval,  it  was  sufficient  for  him 

to  identify  the   countenance.      It  was   Catharine, 

the  Ojibwa  maiden,  and  he  no  longer  doubted  that 

it  was  she  who,  after  cutting  the  slip  in  the  side  of 

the  tepee  the  night  before,  had  looked  through  and 

recognized  him  by  the  glare  of  the  expiring  ember. 


_...j&^ 


178         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

Pontiac  had  his  knife  and  tomahawk  at  his  waist, 
but  the  upper  part  of  his  body  was  bare  and  he  did 
not  carry  his  rifle.  His  chest,  like  his  face,  was 
daubed  with  streaks  of  red,  yellow,  and  black  paint, 
which  added  to  the  hideousness  of  his  appearance. 
He  allowed  his  arms  to  hang  loosely  at  his  sides 
while  speaking,  except  that  now  and  then,  when 
excited,  he  used  them  for  gesture. 

Most  of  the  time  Asher  Norris  kept  his  arms 
folded,  for  in  that  way  his  right  hand  rested  against 
the  handle  of  his  knife,  which,  as  in  the  case  of 
most  of  the  frontiersmen,  was  suspended  over  his 
heart,  though  some  of  them  carried  it  in  the  girdle 
at  the  waist  like  the  Indians.  The  youth  believed 
the  chief  would  become  ungovernably  incensed  by 
his  words,  and  would  rush  upon  him  with  upraised 
knife. 

"  If  he  does  so,"  was  his  thought,  "  there  will  be 
a  dead  Pontiac  before  Asher  Norris  takes  his  depart- 
ure from  this  life.  I  shall  not  stand  idle,  or  meekly 
try  to  escape,  but  will  fight  him  with  might  and 
main." 

It  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that  the  Ottawa  had 
any  suspicion  of  the  resolution  of  the  captive, 
despite  his  undaunted  demeanor,  or  that,  if  he  did 
suspect  it,  he  would  have  been  frightened  from  an 
assault,  for,  as  has  been  stated,  no  one  who  knew 
Pontiac  ever  questioned  his  personal  bravery.     He 


PONTIAC.  179 

was  restrained  by  other  causes  that  were  soon  to 

become  known. 

Instead  of  replying  to  the  last  boast  of  A.sher, 

Pontiac,   after   surveying  him  for  a  few  seconds, 

turned  and  walked  to  the  entrance.     The  hanging 

door  was  drawn  aside,  and  he  stooped  and  passed 

out.     Then  halting  and  holding  the  flap  away,  he 

beckoned  with  his  other  hand  for  Asher  to  follow 

him. 

Without   a  moment's  hesitation,    the    prisoner 
obeyed. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


WHITHER  ? 


IT  will  be  recalled  that  at  no  point  in  this  remark- 
able conversation  did  Asher  Norris  show  any 
fear  of  the  terrible  Pontiac  who  held  him  at  his 
mercy.  It  war.  with  the  same  dauntless  demeanor 
he  had  shown  from  the  first  that  he  obeyed  the 
gesture  of  the  chief  to  follow  him  from  the  tepee 
of  Wa-mo-aka.  Striding  across  the  brief  space  he 
lowered  his  head,  passed  through  the  entrance  and 
paused  on  the  outside,  where  the  leader  of  the  Otta- 
was  awaited  him. 

There  is  nothing  that  the  American  Indian  likes 
more  than  unflinching  bravery.  Had  the  youth 
whined  and  begged  for  mercy  it  is  quite  probable 
that  he  would  have  been  smitten  to  the  earth,  but 
when  he  stood  up  before  the  chieftain,  as  if  courting 
a  personal  combat,  Pontiac  lost  his  malignant  hatred 
for  the  moment  in  admiration  of  the  splendid  cour- 
age of  the  youth. 

But,  while  all  this  was  true,  it  must  not  be  sup- 
posed that  the  savage  held  any  purpose  of  reward- 
ing his    prisoner    for    his    unusual    demeanor    by 

ito 


WHITHER?  l8l 

presenting  him  with  his  freedom.  Such  is  not  the 
nature  of  the  redman. 

The  sun  was  shining,  and  the  scene  around  the 
two  was  of  strange  interest  and  activity.  The  tepees 
had  been  set  up  in  the  woods,  whose  exuberant 
vegetation  allowed  but  few  rays  of  sunlight  to  pierce 
their  branches.  The  numerous  tents,  of  which  Wa- 
mo-aka's  may  be  taken  as  a  type,  were  placed  as  the 
location  of  the  tree  trunks  compelled,  so  that  there 
was  no  semblance  of  symmetry  or  regularity. 
Squaws  were  passing  to  and  fro,  children  playing 
and  running  among  the  trees,  warriors  lounging 
here  and  there,  most  of  them  smoking,  but  a  large 
number  were  engaged  in  cleaning  their  guns  as  if 
preparing  for  some  warlike  expedition.  Amid  all 
the  bustle  and  activity  there  were  no  signs,  as  far 
as  Asher  could  note,  of  the  important  enterprise  of 
the  evening  before.  If  there  had  been  fighting,  the 
Ottawas  must  have  suffered  in  killed  and  wounded. 
But  he  had  heard  no  sounds  of  wailing  or  mourning 
on  the  previous  night,  nor  was  anything  of  the  kind 
now  present.  It  looked  as  if  the  enterprise,  what- 
ever its  nature,  had  been  abandoned. 

The  personality  of  Pontiac  was  always  interesting 
to  his  followers,  but  the  awe  in  which  he  was  held 
prevented  any  obtrusive  curiosity  as  to  the  prisoner 
with  whom  he  started  on  a  walk  in  the  direction  of 
the  river.     Every  eye  seemed  to  be  turned  upon  the 


1 82         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

two  as  they  picked  their  way  in  and  out  among  the 
tepees,  but  there  was  more  of  shrinking  back  than  of 
pressing  forward.  No  one  ventured  to  address  the 
chief,  who  did  not  speak  until  clear  of  the  village. 

It  was  then  but  a  short  distance  to  the  Canadian 
settlement,  which  intervened  between  the  Indian 
encampment  and  the  Detroit  river;  but  instead  of 
going  through  that  fringe  of  cabins,  Pontiac  turned 
to  the  right,  as  if  he  meant  to  pass  round  the  upper 
end,  and  thus  avoid  meeting  any  who  were  of  the 
same  race  as  his  prisoner. 

Asher  had  plenty  of  cause  for  speculation  during 
this  singular  journey,  for  the  chief  did  not  speak 
nor  give  any  intimation  as  to  its  meaning,  but  the 
youth  was  alert,  and  it  was  a  striking  proof  of  his 
acuteness  that  he  made  an  important  discovery, 
unsuspected  by  his  captor. 

With  his  thoughts  dwelling  often  upon  Madge 
Linwood,  Asher  glanced  sharply  on  every  hand 
while  picking  his  way  among  the  tepees  in  the  hope 
of  gaining  sight  of  her.  Though  he  failed,  he  dis- 
covered something  else  of  great  significance. 

Several  Indians  were  following  him  and  Pontiac. 
There  were  two  on  the  right  hand  and  the  same 
number  on  the  left,  all  deftly  dodging  among  the 
trees  so  as  nearly  to  keep  pace  with  the  two,  and 
doing  it  so  skilfully  that  few  beside  Asher  Norris 
would  have  noticed  them.     The  uncomforting  con- 


WHITHER?  183 

viction  came  to  the  prisoner  that  he  was  being  led 
to  his  execution,  a  conviction  that  was  strengthened 
when  he  recognized  one  of  the  four  as  his  enemy, 
Gray  Wolf. 

Without  trying  to  determine  the  best  thing  to  do, 
if  indeed  he  could  do  anything,  Asher  decided  to  be 
governed  by  circumstances.  If  he  was  doomed  to 
die  there  was  no  help  for  it,  but  whatever  his  fate, 
he  would  go  down  with  colors  flying. 

At  the  point  where  they  had  to  turn  in  order  to 
follow  the  most  direct  route  to  the  river,  the  two 
emerged  into  a  small  natural  clearing  of  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  in  extent.  There  Pontiac  abruptly  halted, 
and,  turning  upon  his  companion,  said : 

"  The  white  man  has  a  knife;  Pontiac  has  a 
knife ;  they  shall  learn  who  is  the  bravest,  and  who 
shall  fall  to  the  earth. ' ' 

This  sounded  very  much  like  a  challenge  to  mor- 
tal combat.  Asher  Norris  would  not  have  hesitated 
for  an  instant  to  accept  the  gage  of  battle,  could  he 
have  received  chivalrous  treatment,  but  he  now  saw 
the  meaning  of  the  four  warriors  stealthily  following 
them  to  this  point.  They  were  to  watch  the  com- 
bat, and  the  moment  it  should  become  necessary  to 
interfere  for  their  chief,  they  would  do  so.  The 
whole  thing  was  a  characteristic  piece  of  Indian 
trickery. 

"  I  will  fight  Pontiac,  and  will  not  ask  mercy  of 


1 84         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

him,  but  is  Pontiac  the  brave  man  he  is  said  to  be, 
when  he  brings  four  of  his  warriors  to  help  him  fight 
one  white  man  ?  " 

It  is  rarely  that  an  Indian  manifests  surprise,  but 
the  chieftain  did  so  in  this  instance,  immediately 
rallying  and  asking  as  he  looked  about  him : 

"  Where  are  the  warriors  that  the  white  man  tells 
about?" 

"  They  followed  us  from  the  village  of  the  Otta^ 
was;  they  did  so  by  Pontiac's  orders;  they  are  hid- 
ing among  the  trees." 

Before  the  chief  could  make  answer  to  this  pointed 
declaration,  two  Indians  emerged  from  the  woods 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  clearing,  and  approached. 
A  glance  showed  that  they  were  not  Ottawas,  but 
belonged  to  some  tribe  which  Asher  did  not  iden- 
tify. They  had  just  reached  the  neighborhood  with 
a  large  band  of  warriors,  and  had  set  out  to  find 
Pontiac  for  consultation. 

"  Huh!  "  exclaimed  the  pleased  sachem  as  he  re- 
cognized them.  Their  coming  was  unexpected,  and 
all  the  more  gratifying  on  that  account.  He  stared 
for  a  moment  and  then  took  several  paces  forward 
to  meet  them,  forgetting  in  his  excitement  the 
security  of  his  prisoner. 

"  Let  Pontiac  speak  with  his  brothers,"  Asher 
was  quick  to  say;  "  I  will  await  his  pleasure." 

The  pledge  was  kept.     It  seemed  to  be  a  chival- 


WHITHER?  185 

rous  one,  but  no  credit  should  be  given  to  the  youth 
who  made  it.  He  would  have  been  off  like  a  flash, 
at  the  first  opportunity,  but  for  the  presence  of 
those  four  sneaking  wretches,  only  a  few  rods  away 
among  the  trees,  who  would  have  welcomed  the 
excuse  for  bringing  him  wounded  to  the  earth  and 
then  torturing  him  afterwards. 

The  coming  of  the  Strang,  chiefs  was  a  surprise 
to  every  one  else,  and  of  necessity  postponed  the 
scheme  that  Pontiac  had  in  mind  regarding  his  pris- 
oner. At  best,  it  was  a  curious  act  on  his  part  to 
take  a  white  man  beyond  his  village  for  the  sake  of 
engaging  in  a  personal  combat  with  him,  when  there 
were  many  more  convenient  ways  of  disposing  of 
him. 

It  could  not  have  been  any  faith  in  the  pledge  of 
his  captive  that  led  Pontiac  to  walk  away  from  him, 
thus  leaving  him  seemingly  alone,  but  he  knew  that 
his  faithful  lieutenants  would  keep  keen  watch  over 
him  for  any  length  of  time. 

Asher  was  so  assured  that  he  would  not  be  harmed 
while  the  interview  lasted  that  he  studied  Pontiac 
and  his  two  visitors  with  keen  interest.  As  the 
three  chiefs  came  together  they  greeted  one  another 
with  words  uttered  in  low  tones,  while  Pontiac 
partly  inclined  his  head,  as  if  he  had  caught  the 
trick  from  the  white  people,  but  there  was  no  shak- 
ing of  hands  or  any  other  form  of  salutation.     The 


1 86        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

painted  faces  were  aglow  with  pleasing  excitement, 
for  the  new  arrivals  were  as  ardent  in  the  cause  of 
the  Ottawa  as  he  himself. 

One  of  the  chiefs  was  the  finest  Indian  that  Asher 
had  ever  seen.  He  was  tall,  graceful,  with  unusu- 
ally  regular  features,  and,  curious  as  it  may  sound, 
the  paint  which  he  had  spread  on  his  breast  and  face 
displayed  some  taste,  so  that  it  could  hardly  be  said 
that  it  disfigured  his  countenance,  an  accomplish- 
ment rarely,  if  ever,  known  when  the  aborigines  of 
this  country  attempt  to  wield  the  artist's  brush. 

The  three  talked  with  much  earnestness  and 
gesture.  It  was  in  truth  a  council  of  war  in  which 
doubtless  the  commanding  general  explained  to  his 
lieutenants  his  plan  of  grand  campaign.  They  must 
have  felt  unlimited  faith  in  his  prowess  and  pledges, 
to  bring  their  warriors  so  great  a  distance  to  take 
part  in  th^  sie^e  of  Detroit,  and,  if  looks  could  tell 
anything,  that  confidence  and  enthusiasm  were 
intensified  during  the  spirited  interview. 

Suddenly  Pontiac  seemed  to  decide  to  go  with  his 
visitors  to  view  the  reinforcements  they  had  brought 
to  him.  He  took  several  steps  to  do  so,  when  he 
recalled  the  prisoner  whom  he  had  brought  to  the 
spot.  He  must  have  expected  to  find  him  gone, 
judging  from  his  half-scared  look  as  he  wheeled 
about ;  but  there  stood  the  young  man  with  folded 
arn:s,  coolly  contemplating  him  and  his  companions 


WHITHER  f  187 

as  if  awaiting  an  invitation  to  join  in  their  consult- 
ation. 

Pontiac  did  not  intend  to  take  his  captive  with 
him,  nor  was  it  worth  his  while  to  accompany  him 
back  to  the  village.  His  remedy  was  at  hand.  At 
a  signal  Gray  Wolf  and  his  three  companions 
emerged  from  the  wood  into  the  clearing  and  drew 
near.  As  they  approached,  Asher  N  orris  cast  a 
meaning  look  at  the  Ottawa  chieftain,  for  the  inci- 
dent was  confirmatory  of  his  charge,  but  the  reproof 
was  thrown  away  since  Pontiac  saw  nothing  of  which 
to  be  ashamed  in  the  proceeding. 

There  was  a  few  minutes'  talk  between  the  leader 
and  Gray  Wolf,  who  nodded  his  head  to  signify  that 
his  wishes  were  understood.  Then  Pontiac  strode 
off  with  his  visitors,  quickly  passing  from  sight 
among  the  trees. 

Once  more  Gray  Wolf  was  the  custodian  of  Asher, 
who  in  obedience  to  a  gesture  turned  his  face  toward 
the  Ottawa  village  and  began  retracing  his  steps. 
He  had  noted  one  trifling  thing  which  caused  him 
more  annoyance  than  would  be  supposed :  the  rifle 
that  Gray  Wolf  carried  was  the  handsome  weapon 
belonging  to  the  prisoner. 

On  the  return  journey  Gray  Wolf  walked  imme- 
diately in  front  of  the  captive,  the  other  three 
being  at  the  rear.  Thus  Asher  had  the  humiliation 
of  seeing  his  rifle  continually  before  his  eyes,  while 


l88         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

the  detested  figure  of  the  thief  was  as  continually 
present  in  his  vision.  The  warriors  did  not  tempt 
the  white  man  to  make  a  dash  for  freedom,  for  that 
would  have  necessitated  violence  on  their  part,  for 
which  Pontiac  would  call  them  to  account.  The 
Ottawa  leader  was  the  strictest  of  autocrats  among 
his  people. 

Now  that  he  was  not  with  the  prisoner,  the  rabble 
of  the  village,  as  they  may  be  called,  gave  unre- 
strained attention  to  him.  The  scowling  warriors 
watched  him  as  he  passed,  and  the  women  and 
children  drew  near  with  many  remarks,  evidently 
not  of  a  complimentary  nature,  while  some  of  their 
actions  were  threatening. 

Suddenly  Asher  received  a  resounding  blow  over 
his  shoulder.  He  turned  angrily,  and  saw  a  grinning 
squaw  with  a  stick  in  hand,  as  if  asking  him  how  he 
liked  it.  He  could  offer  no  resistance,  but  con- 
tinued walking  toward  Wa-mo-aka's  lodge,  with  as 
much  dignity  as  befitted  the  occasion.  Bang !  came 
a  second  blow,  and  this  time  it  was  struck  by  an- 
other squaw,  who  did  not  mean  to  be  surpassed  at 
that  kind  of  amusement.  Then  several  large  and 
small  boys  joined  in,  so  that  in  a  twinkling,  as  may 
be  said,  Asher  was  running  the  gauntlet.  He  would 
have  been  vastly  relieved  had  he  dared  to  wheel 
about  and  knock  his  tormentors  right  and  left,  but 
that  would  have  been  unwise,  and  he  bore  his  perse- 


WHITHER?  .  189 

cution  as  philosophically  as  he  could,  scorning  to 
break  into  a  run. 

Gray  Wolf  and  his  companions  made  no  objection 
to  the  outrage,  but  fortunately  the  tepee  was  not 
far  off,  and  a  few  minutes  later  Asher  hurried 
through  the  entrance,  no  one  daring  to  follow  him. 

"  What  's  to  be  the  end  of  this  ? "  he  muttered, 
flinging  himself  down  on  the  buffalo  robes;  "  there 
must  be  an  end  very  soon " 

He  caught  his  breath,  for  at  that  moment  the  flap 
was  lifted  again,  and  Madge  Linwood  stood  before 
him. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

MADGE. 

ASHER  NORRIS  would  have  rushed  forward 
to  clasp  Madge  Linwood  in  his  arms,  but  she 
spoke  before  he  recovered  from  his  shock  of  amaze- 
ment: 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  Asher,"  she  said  in  a  low 
but  earnest  voice;  "  you  must  not  seem  too  glad  to 
see  me;  our  enemies  are  all  around  us." 

He  had  risen  to  his  feet  and  paused  with  several 
paces  between  them.  The  old  squaw  was  absent, 
but  was  liable  to  return  at  any  moment,  and  even 
while  the  girl  spoke  she  saw  several  eyes  at  the 
opening  made  in  the  side  of  the  lodge  by  the  knife 
of  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  maiden,  as  if  there  was 
a  strife  among  the  spectators  as  to  which  should 
secure  the  best  view. 

"Madge!"  exclaimed  the  youth  in  an  awed 
undertone;  "  how  is  it  you  dare  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  My  lodge  is  only  a  short  distance  away;  were 
you  hurt  ? " 

"  You  mean  just  now  ?     No,  the  bruises  were 

only  sufficient  to  make  me  angry;  is  this  the  first 

time  you  saw  me  ?  " 

X90 


MADGE,  191 

"  No;  I  saw  you  when  you  walked  past  with 
Pontiac,  but  I  dared  not  speak." 

"  I  looked  for  you,  Madge,  not  knowing  whether 
or  not  I  ought  to  be  glad  to  see  you  in  this  accursed 
place.     When  were  you  brought  here  ?  " 

"  To-day  is  Friday;  it  was  on  Monday  night." 

"  What  a  woful  mistake  that  you  were  allowed  to 
come  with  Pierre!  " 

*  *  But  his  mother  was  very  ill ;  I  fear  she  has  died.  * ' 

"Yes;  she  died  the  next  morning." 

"  Alas;  and  yet  it  is  well,  for  she  did  not  know  of 
the  cruel  taking  off  of  her  son." 

*'  Then  you  knew  he  was  killed  ?  " 

"  He  was  shot  at  my  side;  he  started  to  take  me 
home,  as  he  promised,  and  wa^  paddling  hard  when 
a  canoe  approached.  There  were  three  Indians  in 
it.  They  said  something  to  Pierre  which  I  did  not 
understand,  but  he  was  frightened.  He  began  pad- 
dling as  fast  as  he  could,  and  they  followed  him. 
Their  position  was  such  that  he  was  forced  to  head 
toward  this  side  of  the  river.  Pierre  was  a  fine 
canoeist,  and  he  drew  away  from  them,  though 
they  paddled  with  might  and  main.  When  we  ran 
under  the  bushes,  Pierre  said  we  were  safe,  and  Gray 
Wolf  could  not  harm  us." 

"  Then  that  imp  was  in  the  business!  "  exclaimed 
Asher. 

"  Alas  that  he  was!     For  Pierre  had  hardly  said 


19^         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

the  words  when  the  Indian  canoe  darted  into  sight. 
Gray  Wolf  raised  his  gun,  and  the  next  minute 
Pierre  was  dead.  They  lifted  me  out  of  the  boat 
and  brought  me  here." 

"  It  was  a  sad  business,"  said  Asher.  "  The 
canoe  must  have  caught  in  the  bushes,  for  I  found 
it  drifting  the  next  night." 

The  tears  of  genuine  grief  filled  the  eyes  of  the 
youth,  for  he  felt  as  not  before  the  cruel  injustice  he 
had  done  the  Canadian  of  whom  he  had  been  so 
jealous.  He  was  striving  to  return  Madge  to  her 
parents,  and  died  in  the  performance  of  duty.  He 
doubtless  loved  the  girl,  but  had  not  forced  his  affec- 
tion upon  her. 

She  and  Asher  were  standing  with  half  the  width 
of  the  lodge  between  them.  He  asked  her  to  sit 
down,  but  she  shook  her  head,  saying  it  was  more 
prudent  to  keep  their  feet.  There  was  no  saying 
how  many  eyes  were  watching  them,  and  everything 
would  be  reported  to  Pontiac. 

"  In  whose  lodge  are  you  staying,  Madge  ?  " 

"  With  the  wife  of  Pontiac;  he  is  away  most  of 
the  time,  but  she  treats  me  with  more  kindness  than 
I  had  a  right  to  expect. '  * 

These  words  sent  a  pang  through  the  heart  of 
Asher,  for  he  saw  a  meaning  in  them  that  she  did 
not  suspect. 

"  You  know  why  I  am  here? "  he  said,  and,  as  she 


MADGE.  193 

inclined  her  head,  he  hurriedly  told  her  what  had 
befallen  him  from  the  time  he  learned  she  was 
missing. 

"  I  have  little  fear  for  myself,"  she  added,  **  for  I 
do  not  think  they  intend  me  any  more  harm  than  to 
hold  me  captive  for  awhile,  but,  O  Asher,  my  heart 
is  crushed  for  you." 

"  We  are  both  in  danger,  and  yours  is  as  great  as 
mine." 

"  I  cannot  think  so,  for  they  have  offered  me  no 
injury,  while  my  heart  stood  still  when  I  saw  you 
go  by  with  Pontiac,  for  I  did  not  believe  I  would 
ever  see  you  again. ' ' 

"  When  did  you  learn  I  was  your  companion  in 
captivity  ? ' ' 

"  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  maiden,  told  me  that  a 
white  man  was  brought  in  last  night,  but  she  had 
not  seen  him  and  did  not  know  who  he  was.  My 
:ieart  misgave  me,  and  I  begged  her  to  find  out  who 
the  captive  was.  She  waited  until  late,  and  then 
stole  up  to  the  side  of  the  lodge,  when  none  of  the 
sentinels  on  guard  saw  her,  cut  a  hole  and  peeped 
through." 

"  There  is  the  spot,"  said  Asher,  indicating  the 
opening;  "  I  saw  her  eye  and  the  end  of  her  finger 
as  she  looked  in,  but  did  not  suspect  who  she  was 
until  a  good  while  after.  Madge,  have  you  had  any 
chance  to  get  away  ?  " 


194         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

She  looked  surprised  and  then  grieved. 

"  Do  you  think  if  such  came  to  me  I  would  not 
seize  it  on  the  instant  ?  I  have  lain  awake  the 
night  through,  praying  for  such  a  chance;  I  have 
been  on  the  alert  through  the  day,  but  not  once  did 
it  appear;  I  am  still  waiting,  but  beginning  to  think 
that  I  shall  have  to  stay  with  the  Ottawas  for  a  long 
time — that  is,  until  they  begin  to  think  I  am  satis- 
fied. Then  when  their  suspicion  is  less,  the  oppor- 
tunity will  come  to  me.  Ah,  father  and  mother! 
How  your  hearts  must  ache  for  your  Madge!  *' 

And,  giving  way  to  her  emotions,  she  buried  her 
face  in  her  hands,  while  the  tears  trickled  between 
the  fingers. 

It  was  plain  to  Asher  Norris  that  the  girl  had  no 
thought  of  her  real  danger.  Pontiac  was  infatuated 
with  Madge,  and  she,  in  her  youth  and  innocence, 
did  not  dream  of  the  possibility  of  such  a  thing. 
It  was  his  duty  to  warn  her. 

*'  Madge,  Catharine  is  your  friend,  as  everybody 
is ;  she  will  do  all  she  can  to  help  you,  and  you  must 
try  equally  hard  to  help  her  in  trying  to  help  you." 

"  I  know  what  you  say  is  true,  but  none  of  her 
people  have  ever  suspected  Catharine  of  being 
friendly  to  our  race,  and  she  must  not  run  too  much 
danger."  ' 

In  those  words  glowed  the  sweet  nature  of  Madge 
Linwood.     Her  first  thought  was  not  of  herself,  but 


MADGE.  195 

of  Others.  Undoubtedly  the  Ojibwa  girl  could  do 
a  great  deal  for  her,  but  Madge  was  ready  to  inter- 
pose through  fear  that  it  might  endanger  the  safety 
of  her  dusky  friend. 

"  Madge,  Pontiac  is  in  love  with  you,  and  means 
to  make  you  his  wife !  " 

The  fair  cheek  paled,  the  dark  eyes  grew  wider ; 
she  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  gasped : 

* '  In  love  with  me !     Means  to  make  me  his  wife !  *  * 

"  Yes;  he  will  never  permit  you  to  return  to  your 
parents ;  if  you  do  not  break  away  and  make  your 
escape  soon  it  will  be  too  late." 

"  But,  Asher,  he  has  a  wife!  " 

"  What  of  that  ?  Have  not  many  of  the  Indians 
more  than  one  wife  ?  Aye,  some  of  them  have 
three  and  four  squaws  to  serve  them  like  beasts  of 
burden.  He  will  suffer  no  man  to  interfere ;  that  is 
why  he  had  poor  Pierre  Muire  killed ;  he  knew  he 
loved  you." 

"  Pierre  loved  me!  He  never  whispered  such  a 
word." 

**  He  was  too  noble  to  do  so  until  he  saw  hope, 
but  I  knew  of  his  passion ;  so  did  Catharine.  Has 
she  not  spoken  to  you  ?  " 

"  Never  of  Pierre;  she  did  drop  a  hint  about 
Pontiac;  but  I  did  not  understand  her  meaning." 

"You  understand  it  now,  Madge;  God  protect 
you!" 


196         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

"  But  he  has  said  nothing  of  the  kind  to  me — not 
so  much  as  a  single  word." 

"  He  can  afford  to  wait,  but  he  will  not  wait 
long ;  you  will  learn  the  whole  fearful  truth  all  too 
soon  from  his  own  accursed  lips. ' ' 

The  revelation  seemed  too  frightful  for  the  girl 
fully  to  grasp  at  first,  but,  young  as  she  was,  her 
woman's  intuition  told  her  that  the  words  just 
spoken  were  those  of  soberness  and  truth.  Quicker 
than  Asher  expected  she  rallied  from  the  shock. 

"  But  if  Pontiac  feels  thus  towards  me,  he  will 
continue  to  be  kind." 

"  He  will  until  you  are  compelled  to  say  *  yes* 
or  '  no  '  to  him." 

"  And  I  will  die  a  thousand  times  before  saying 
'yes.'     Oh,  the  thought!" 

And  she  shuddered  as  if  from  the  touch  of  a 
loathsome  serpent. 

"  But,  Asher,"  she  hastened  to  add,  "  I  am  safe 
for  a  while,  even  though  it  be  brief,  while  you  are 
in  peril  every  hour. ' ' 

**  Think  not  of  me,  but  of  yourself;  Catharine  will 
help  you  and  take  the  first  opportunity  to  get  away ; 
more  depends  upon  her  than  upon  any  one  else." 

"  Why  did  not  Pontiac  return  with  you  ? " 

"  Before  we  reached  the  river  he  met  two  chiefs  be- 
longing to  other  tribes ;  he  went  off  to  talk  to  them 
and  Gray  Wolf  and  the  others  brought  me  back. ' ' 


MADGE,  197 

The  youth  did  not  think  it  well  to  tell  everything. 

"  But  for  that  you  would  have  been  killed.  He 
has  only  deferred  your  death.  You  must  not  stay 
here  another  night. ' ' 

**  Those  are  wise  words,  dear  Madge,  but  am  I 
not  watched  as  closely  as  you  ?  Do  you  imagine 
that  if  but  half  a  chance  were  offered  I  would  not 
seize  it  ? 

"  What  has  become  of  your  Uncle  Jo?  " 

"  Jo  Spain  ?  Ah,  misfortunes  come  together. 
He  left  the  fort  without  knowing  that  you  were 
missing." 

She  made  no  reply,  but  looked  thoughtfully  at 
the  ground  between  them.  She  was  thinking  deeply 
upon  something,  and  he  waited  for  her  to  explain. 
Having  impressed  her  with  a  full  sense  of  her  own 
danger,  he  felt  there  was  little  more  to  say.  She 
could  now  be  depended  upon  to  do  all  that  was 
within  the  possibility  of  human  endeavor. 

**  I  wonder  whether  it  is  fortunate  that  new  cares 
have  come  to  Pontiac,"  she  said  as  if  communing 
with  herself.  **  He  will  not  disturb  me  perhaps  for 
a  day  or  two  longer,  but  he  may  wish  to  rid  himself 
of  you.  Asher,  does  Pontiac  think — that — you — 
love  me  ? " 

A  strange  thrill  shot  through  the  heart  of  the 
youth  at  these  words,  for  it  was  the  first  time 
that    anything   of   that  nature    had  been    said  by 


198         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   07'TAWAS. 

either.     Mastering  his  emotion  as  best  he  could,  he 
replied : 

"  He  asked  me  the  question." 

"  The  wretch  !  and  what  was  your  reply  ?  " 

' '  I  said  *  yes, '  but  start  not  Madge ;  my  answer 
was  that  every  one  who  knew  you  loved  you — his 
own  people  as  well  as  those  of  our  race;  so  how 
could  I  help  feeling  as  did  they  ?  I  don't  know 
whether  that  satisfied  him,  but  he  had  to  accept  it. 
You  can  see  how  jealous  he  is  of  those  who  dare  to 
look  upon  you  with  longing  eyes." 

"  It  must  be  as  you  say — it  must  be " 

A  peculiar  grunting  sound  struck  upon  their  ears, 
as  the  flap  of  the  tent  was  raised  and  Wa-mo-aka, 
the  old  squaw,  entered.  She  looked  keenly  at  the 
two,  as  if  she  did  not  understand  the  meaning  of 
the  scene,  and  then  going  over  to  the  robes  on  which 
Asher  Norris  had  been  reclining,  sat  down. 

"  Can  s!ie  understand  us  ?  "  he  asked. 

' '  She  is  totally  deaf,  and  cannot  speak  a  word  of 
English." 

"  I  have  not  yet  asked  how  it  was  you  were  per- 
mitted to  come  from  the  tepee  of  Pontiac  to  visit 
me. 

' '  I  told  you  that  he  and  his  squaw  are  kind ;  they 
suffer  me  to  go  outside  of  their  lodge  when  I 
choose,  but  I  am  closely  watched  ;  she  knows 
enough  English  to  catch  my  meaning.     So  I  told 


MADGE,  199 

her  I  was  going  to  speak  to  the  prisoner  of  Pontiac, 
and  she  showed  no  wish  to  prevent  me. ' ' 

"How  long  may  you  stay  ?  " 

"  I  have  already  stayed  longer  than  I  intended, 
but  no  harm  can  come  from  it,  since  Pontiac  is  not 
likely  to  return  for  a  good  while." 

"  And  when  he  does  return  and  learns  where  you 
have  been  ? " 

"Is  it  not  proper  that  one  white  captive  should 
wish  to  speak  to  another,  who  is  also  unfortunate  ? 
But  I  must  go;  good-by." 

He  had  hardly  time  to  respond  to  her  parting 
words,  when  she  was  gone,  and  as  she  passed  out 
of  Wa-mo-aka's  tent,  the  shadow  of  a  great  dread 
and  the  glow  of  a  great  hope  rested  on  her  sweet 
face. 


w 


1 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  PRAYER  AND  ITS  ANSWER. 

T  has  been  a  characteristic  of  some  of  the  great- 
est military  leaders  of  history  that  they  were  as 
simple  in  their  tastes  as  the  privates  under  their 
command.  The  gaudy  uniform,  the  pomp  and  show 
and  parade  belong,  as  a  rule,  to  those  whose  deeds 
and  achievements  are  in  the  future. 

Pontiac,  chief  of  the  Ottawas,  in  his  dress  and 
manner  of  living  was  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  thousand  warriors  who  were  ready  to  fol- 
low him  to  death  "as  to  a  festival."  Had  any 
inquirer  entered  the  Indian  village,  which  stood  on 
the  eastern  bank  of  the  Detroit  river,  more  than 
one  hundred  years  ago,  in  search  of  the  remarkable 
sachem,  he  would  have  been  obliged  to  make 
inquiry  to  locate  the  imperial  wigwam.  It  was  one 
among  many,  standing,  as  has  been  shown,  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  tepee  of  Wa-mo-aka,  in 
*^\-,.  which  Asher  N orris  was  held  a  prisoner. 

Pontiac  had  but  one  wife — at  least  there  was  only 
one  with  him  at  the  time  he  laid  siege  to  the  famous 
frontier  post — and,  like  many  otht^  noted  chieftains, 

300 


A   PR  A  YEH  AND  ITS  ANSWER.  201 

he  had  no  children.  His  squaw  was  in  middle  life, 
and  of  anything  but  prepossessing  appearance.  The 
life  companion  of  the  terrible  man  speedily  learned 
of  his  savage  and  resistless  nature,  She  would  no 
more  have  dared  to  go  contrary  to  his  remorseless 
will  than  would  any  of  the  Ottawa  warriors  whom 
he  led  in  battle. 

When,  therefore,  Madge  Linwood  was  brought  to 
his  lodge  as  a  captive,  the  wife  received  her  with 
apparent  pleasure,  for  she  knew  it  meant  her  own 
death  to  do  otherwise.  In  her  heart  she  may  have 
hated  with  indescribable  intensity  the  comely  maiden 
of  another  race,  upon  whom  she  saw  her  husband 
looking  with  covetous  eyes,  but  if  so  her  lord  and 
master  saw  nothing  of  it,  while  Madge  herself  was 
surprised  and  relieved  to  find  apparent  good-will 
where  she  looked  for  persecution. 

So  it  was  that  the  few  days  and  nights  which  she 
spent  in  the  lodge  were  as  bearable  as  they  could  be 
to  the  homesick  one,  who  longed  for  her  own 
parents  and  friends,  and  to  whom  the  captivity 
would  have  been  a  horrible  nightmare,  but  for  the 
hope,  caused  by  the  kindness  from  the  couple,  that 
she  would  soon  be  allowed  to  go  to  her  own  home. 

Pontiac  was  a  shrewd  personage  in  more  than  one 
respect.  He  did  not  spend  most  of  his  time  in  the 
lodge,  persecuting  the  captive  with  his  attentions. 
To  do  that  would  have  roused  dislike,  opposition, 


202         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

and  hatred.  He  had  seen  her  more  than  once  in 
Detroit,  when  all  was  pleasant  between  the  white 
and  the  redman,  and  even  though  she  was  so  young 
he  admired  and  in  his  own  rough  way  loved  her. 
He  was  aware  that  she  knew  he  was  the  greatest 
among  his  race  ;  he  believed  he  was  the  chosen 
Moses  to  lead  the  redmen  to  triumph,  and  that  all 
the  white  people  in  Detroit  would  soon  be  at  his 
mercy.  When,  then,  he  spared  her  parents  and 
friends  from  the  doom  that  awaited  the  rest,  when 
he  launched  forth  as  a  conquering  and  mighty 
leader,  would  she  not  be  proud  to  stand  by  his  side 
as  his  queen  ? 

All  this,  of  course,  is  but  speculation,  but  the 
acts  of  Pontiac  lend  reasonableness  to  the  theory 
that  such  dreams  guided  his  action  for  a  few  mem- 
orable days.  When  it  is  remembered  that  he  was  a 
barbarian,  with  the  crude,  wild  imaginings  of  his 
people,  addicted  to  the  most  extravagant  day 
dreaming,  with  a  brain  surcharged  with  gorgeous 
and  grotesque  fancies,  there  is  nothing  incredible  in 
the  thought  that  he  believed  he  could  win  the 
maiden  of  Caucasian  blood  without  resort  to  the 
violence  that  he  was  ready  to  use  as  a  last  resort. 

The  intuition  of  the  female  mind  is  marvellous, 
and  at  times  past  comprehension,  even  in  one  so 
young  as  Madge  Linv/ood  or  Catharine  the  Ojibwa, 
who  was  sonftewhat  older  than  her  civilized  sister. 


A   PRAYER  AND  ITS  ANSWER.  203 

The  revelation  of  Asher  Norris,  made  at  a  critical 
moment,  was  neither  too  early  nor  too  late.  Even 
whilfc  talking  with  him  her  active  brain  evolved  a 
line  of  action,  creditable  and  even  brilliant  in  con- 
ception. 

In  brief  she  saw,  as  she  told  him,  that  she  was  in 
no  immediate  danger,  for  she  could  dally  with  Pon- 
tiac  for  several  days,  but  as  for  the  youth,  his  life 
was  not  secure  for  an  hour.  It  had  been  saved  thus 
far  by  providential  interference,  but  it  was  as  idle  to 
expect  that  to  continue,  as  it  was  to  look  for  a 
string  of  miracles,  one  after  another  and  without 
end.  Unless  his  release  was  brought  about  within 
the  following  twenty-four  hours,  or  probably  within 
less  time,  it  would  never  come.  Her  thoughts, 
therefore,  were  concentrated  upon  the  problem  of 
securing  that  release. 

There  was  but  the  one  way  possible;  appeal  to 
Pontiac  himself,  and  beg  of  him  as  a  favor  that  the 
young  man  should  be  sent  back  to  his  people. 
Would  he  not  do  so  simple  a  thing  in  order  to  win 
her  thanks  and  smiles  ? 

This,  in  brief,  was  the  line  she  had  determined  to 
follow.  When  the  idea  first  came  into  her  mind, 
she  was  confident  of  its  success.  Suppose  the  chief- 
tain set  Asher  free  and  permitted  him  to  return  to 
Detroit.  In  what  possible  way  would  the  chief 
harm  himself  or  imperil  the  scheme  he  had  formed  ? 


204        PONTlAC,  CHtEP  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

He  looked  with  contempt  upon  Major  Gladwyn  and 
his  garrison,  whose  temporary  safety  lay  in  keeping 
as  closely  as  possible  behind  the  palisades.  He  did 
not  dare  march  out  to  attack  any  of  the  beleaguer- 
ing tribes,  so  that  no  appeal  of  Asher  Norris  or  of 
the  friends  of  Madge  Linwood  could  bring  any  dan- 
ger of  the  fair  captive  being  wrested  from  Pontiac. 

This  was  the  favorable  view  that  first  presented 
itself  to  her,  but  intense  thought  brought  to  light 
many  "  briers  in  the  path."  She  might  truly  claim 
that  she  would  appeal  for  the  same  mercy  at  the 
hands  of  the  chieftain,  no  matter  who  the  hapless 
prisoner  was,  but  the  sagacious  sachem  was  quite 
sure  to  read  truly  the  deeper,  tenderer  feeling  that 
actuated  the  girl,  and  a  suspicion  on  his  part  that 
the  youth  dared  to  love  the  maiden  would  set  aflame 
all  the  ungovernable  ferocity  of  his  nature  against 
his  more  comely  rival.  If  he  had  ordered  Pierre 
Muire  to  be  shot,  because  of  a  hint  that  the  Cana- 
dian presumed  to  be  a  rival  even  in  thought,  how 
much  more  merciless  would  he  be  toward  the  youth 
of  whose  sentiments  there  could  be  no  doubt  ? 

So  it  was  that  poignant  fear  was  mingled  with 
hope.  She  must,  if  possible,  allay  the  suspicion  of 
Pontiac,  who,  in  his  rage,  might  throw  all  dissem- 
blance aside,  slay  Asher  Norris  and  compel  her  to 
be  his  companion.  It  was  this  dread  which  clouded 
her  face,  even  while  it  glowed  with  hope,  as  she 


A  PR  A  YER  AXD  ITS  ANSWER.  205 

bade  Asher  good-by  and  passed  out  of  the  lodge  of 
Wa-mo-aka  to  return  to  her  own. 

She  longed  for  the  companionship  of  Catharine 
the  Ojibwa.  She  could  fully  trust  her  and  needed 
her  counsel.  The  two  together  could  plan  better 
than  apart  and  unaided.  Catharine  was  in  the 
lodge  when  Madge  left  it  a  short  time  before,  for 
that  historical  character,  whose  friendship  for  the 
whites  seemed  never  to  have  been  suspected  by  her 
own  people,  wandered  at  will  among  the  different 
nationalities,  as  Pontiac  himself  might  have  done. 

But  Catharine  was  absent  ;  and  when  Madge 
inquired  of  the  wife  of  Pontiac,  that  woman  in  her 
broken  English  replied  that  she  did  not  know  where 
the  girl  had  gone,  but  thought  it  likely  she  was  with 
her  own  people,  the  Ojibwas.  Madge  was  about  to 
make  further  inquiry,  when  lo !  through  the  entrance 
came  Pontiac  himself. 

One  glance  at  that  hard,  painted  countenance  told 
the  startled  Madge  that  he  was  in  buoyant  spirits. 
The  arrival  of  reinforcements  must  have  produced 
its  effect  upon  him,  and  done  much  to  quell  the  im- 
patience he  was  beginning  to  feel  that  Detroit  was 
so  long  in  falling  into  his  hands.  He  spoke  to  his 
wife,  who  straightway  set  about  preparing  a  simple 
meal  for  her  great  husband,  and  then  turning  to 
Madge,  who  was  standing  near  the  middle  of  the 
lodge,  made  her  a  salute  which  looked  all  the  more 


2o6       PONT  I  AC  CHIEF,   OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

odd  from  him  since  it  was  a  genuine  military  one. 
Madge  replied  with  bright  eyes  and  beaming  smile, 
trying  to  adapt  her  language  to  that  which  she  had 
heard  so  often  from  the  Indian  visitors  at  Detroit. 

"  The  sunlight  shines  in  the  face  of  the  great 
Pontiac;  he  is  happy;  and  it  makes  the  heart  of 
Madge  happy  to  see  the  chieftain  thus." 

"  The  sunlight  in  the  face  of  Pontiac  is  that  which 
comes  from  the  Morning  Light,  the  fairest  among 
her  people ;  if  her  light  is  withdrawn,  the  sky  will 
have  no  sun  nor  moon  nor  stars." 

This  was  the  most  overwhelming  compliment  she 
had  ever  heard  from  the  dusky  miscreant,  and  it 
fairly  chilled  her.  But,  after  all,  it  was  to  be  ex- 
pected, and  she  must  brace  herself  to  stand  a  great 
deal  more  like  it. 

"  Pontiac  is  a  great  chief;  he  has  slain  many  of 
my  people,  and  taken  many  of  them  prisoners  ; 
there  is  a  prisoner  in  the  lodge  of  Wa-mo-aka. '  * 

This  was  coming  to  the  point  quite  abruptly,  but 
Madge's  soul  so  revolted  at  the  flattery  of  the  Otta- 
wa, and  she  was  so  distressed  for  her  friend  that  she 
could  not  wait  as  long  as  perhaps  was  prudent. 
The  face  of  Pontiac  darkened,  and  he  looked  stead- 
ily at  her  for  a  moment,  when  he  walked  to  his 
couch  and  sat  down.  He  motioned  her  to  place 
herself  beside  him,  but  she  made  as  if  she  did  not 
understand  him. 


A   PRA  YER  AND  ITS  ANSIVER.  20/ 


<< 


Why  docs  the  Morning  Light  mourn  for  the 
white  captive  ?  "  he  asked,  with  his  black  eyes  still 
fixed  upon  her  countenance.  The  girl  felt  the  hot 
flush  on  her  cheeks,  but  with  superb  poise  she  made 
answer : 

"  The  heart  of  Morning  Light  sorrows  for  all  her 
friends;  she  knows  that  Pontiac  can  be  merciful; 
she  begs  that  he  will  set  the  young  man  free,  that 
he  may  go  home  to  his  people ;  surely  when  Pon- 
tiac's  warriors  are  like  leaves  in  the  wood,  he  cares 
naught  for  any  single  man. ' ' 

"  Will  it  bring  the  sunlight  back  to  the  face  of 
the  Morning  Light  if  Pontiac  does  as  she  wishes  ?  " 

"  Yes,  O  yes — my  heart  vill  be  glad,  and  I  will 
thank  Pontiac." 

He  made  no  reply,  but,  seated  on  the  buffalo 
robes,  with  her  standing  before  him,  he  followed  his 
trick  of  looking  steadily  into  her  countenance  for 
some  moments  without  speaking. 

Madge's  heart  was  throbbing  painfully.  Her  hor- 
ror was  that  he  would  attach  to  his  promise  some 
condition  from  which  she  would  shrink  as  if  from 
death.  She  believed  he  would  demand  that  she 
would  promise  to  become  his  squaw,  and  such 
promise  she  could  not  give  to  save  the  life  that 
was  tenfold  dearer  to  her  than  her  own. 

It  is  impossible  to  imagine  the  thoughts  that 
passed  through  the  brain  of  the  dusky  leader  during 


r.?:.ytr?T  -^ '"  ^  ^'-a\^'g  -'  ■■/■: \ 'vj  • .'.'. ' ii. 


208         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

the  distressing  seconds  that  followed,  and  while  he 
seemed  to  look  her  through  and  through.  At  the 
moment  when  the  suspense  was  growing  unbear- 
able, he  sprang  to  his  feet  with  the  exclamation : 

"  It  shall  be  as  Morning  Light  wishes  !  The 
white  prisoner  shall  go  to  his  home  !  " 

Could  she  believe  her  senses  ?  Yes,  there  wds  no 
mistaking  the  words ;  Pontiac  had  given  his  pledge. 
Not  only  that,  but  he  immediately  strode  out  of  the 
lodge,  as  if  with  the  determination  to  do  as  he 
promised  without  any  delay. 

Madge  clasped  her  hands  and  murmured :  "  Thank 
you,  Pontiac  !    Thank  heaven  !  " 

He  did  not  glance  at  her  as  he  went  forth,  and 
she  stood  like  one  dazed,  bewildered,  and  still  doubt- 
ing that  she  had  heard  aright. 

"  He  said  that  Asher  should  go  free;  he  has  done 
it  to  please  me.  I  dared  not  hope  he  would  yield 
so  quickly,  but  he  has  done  so,  and  before  the  night 
comes  Asher  wi  '  I  c  with  his  friends  in  Detroit!  " 

In  her  gratitude  she  clasped  her  hands  again,  and, 
looking  upward,  devoutly  thanked  heaven  for  its 
great  mercy.  Her  happiness  was  too  radiant  just 
then  for  her  to  see  all  the  bearings  of  the  strange 
incident,  or  to  give  room  for  the  torturing  doubt 
that  was  to  come  to  her  later. 

Asher  Norris  was  seated  on  the  robes  in  the  tepee 
of  Wa-mo-aka,  speculating  as  to  the  outcome  of  the 


A  PRAYER  AND  ITS  ANSWER.  2O9 

peril  in  which  he  and  Madge  were  involved,  when 
once  more  the  flap  of  the  lodge  was  lifted,  and  Pon- 
tiac  stood  before  him,  and  once  more  the  prisoner 
rose  to  his  feet  and  made  a  military  salute. 

**  Does  my  brother  wish  to  go  home  to  his  peo- 
ple ? '  *  was  his  abrupt  question,  accompanied  by  his 
usual  piercing  gaze. 

"  It  would  cheer  my  heart  to  do  so,"  replied 
Asher,  bowing  his  head,  but  doubtful  of  the  full 
meaning  of  the  question. 

He  noted  that  for  the  first  time  the  chieftain 
referred  to  him  as  ' '  brother.  * ' 

"  It  shall  be  as  my  brother  wishes;  let  him  go 
with  Pontiac." 

Facing  about,  the  chieftain  walked  slowly  to  the 
opening,  drew  aside  the  flap  and  passed  out.  It 
need  not  be  said  that  Asher  N orris  was  not  slow  in 
following  him,  though  he  understood  Indian  treach- 
ery too  well  not  to  believe  that  it  was  in  the  mind 
of  the  chief  of  the  Ottawas  at  that  moment. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FREE  ? 

ONE  thing  was  clear  to  Asher  Norris:  this  real 
or  pretended  release  was  an  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  Madge  Linwood.  Pontiac  would  not  have 
held  out  the  hope  to  him,  but  for  his  wish  to  win 
favor  in  her  eyes. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  it  was  not  the  time  to  hesitate 
or  waver.  On  the  outside  of  the  lodge,  the  chief- 
tain was  awaiting  him,  and,  without  another  word, 
he  set  out  through  the  village,  taking  the  same 
course  as  before.  The  prisoner  could  not  know  how 
much  time  had  elapsed  between  Pontiac's  leaving 
his  own  lodge  and  entering  that  of  Wa-mo-aka,  so 
he  was  unaware  of  the  plans  he  had  formed. 

Naturally  the  youth  looked  about  to  see  whether 
his  previous  experience  was  to  be  repeated,  but  he 
observed  nothing  of  the  warriors  that  had  stealthily 
followed  him  to  the  clearing,  where  Pontiac  met  the 
two  brother  chiefs.  Men,  squaws,  and  children 
gazed  curiously  at  him  as  he  passed,  but  there  was 
no  interference  All  were  too  afraid  of  offending 
their  ferocious  leader. 

a  10 


FREEf  211 

Thus  the  journey  continued  until  they  passed 
beyond  the  village,  and  stood  alone  among  the 
trees.  Then  Pontiac,  who  did  not  bring  his  rifle 
with  him,  cnce  more  paused  and  confronted  his 
captive.  As  he  did  so,  a  sudden  resolution  took 
possession  of  Asher  Norris. 

"  We  are  close  to  the  village,"  he  reflected,  "  and 
the  Canadian  settlement  is  between  me  and  the 
river,  but  I  shall  not  go  back  to  captivity.  If  he 
undertakes  to  return,  or  to  call  any  of  his  warriors 
to  him,  I  will  leap  upon  him,  slay  him  before  they 
can  arrive,  and  then  dash  off  among  the  trees  ! 
Whatever  may  be  the  result  of  this  interview,  it 
marks  the  end  of  m>  captivity.  * ' 

He  suspected  and  hoped  that  the  chieftain  meant 
to  challenge  him  to  mortal  combat.  He  must  know 
that  Asher  had  learned  of  the  presence  of  the  four 
warriors  within  call,  earlier  in  the  day,  and  possibly 
through  shamefacedness  he  now  scorned  to  guard 
himself  in  the  same  way  when  the  journey  was 
repeated. 

But  the  youth  was  mistaken  in  each  instance. 

"  Let  my  brother  go  to  Major  Gladwyn  and  tell' 
him  that  he  comes  from  Pontiac,"  said  that  person- 
age, folding  his  arms  and  coolly  surveying  him; 
"  tell  Major  Gladwyn  that  a  thousand  warriors  have 
come  from  the  south  and  from  the  east;  that  a 
thousand   more   are   coming   from   the   north   and 


212         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

west;  they  will  soon  be  here;  Pontiac  will  ask 
Major  Gladwyn  once  more  to  surrender ;  if  he  says 
No,  Detroit  shall  be  burned,  and  not  a  scalp  left 
upon  the  crown  of  any  man  of  the  garrison  !  " 

Asher  did  not  deem  it  wise  at  that  time  to  reply 
to  the  boasting  in  similar  terms.  He  bowed  his 
head  and  said : 

"  It  shall  be  as  Pontiac  says,  but  shall  I  not  have 
the  company  of  the  great  Pontiac  all  the  way  ?  " 

"  No;  these  shall  go  with  him  to  the  gate  of 
Detroit." 

As  he  spoke,  he  pointed  to  one  side,  and  beyond 
the  youth,  who  turned  his  head  to  read  the  mean- 
ing of  the  words,  and  it  was  with  unspeakable 
chagrin  that  he  saw  Gray  Wolf  and  a  second  warrior 
within  a  dozen  paces  of  him.  They  had  come  up 
so  silently  while  the  two  were  talking  that  the  pris- 
oner had  not  heard  the  rustling  of  a  leaf.  It  must 
have  been  that  when  Pontiac  left  the  presence  of 
Madge  Linwood  he  lingered  long  enough  on  the 
way  to  make  this  arrangement  with  his  trusted 
lieutenant. 

It  was  almost  a  mortal  disappointment,  and  the 
feelings  of  the  youth  were  much  like  those  of  Pon- 
tiac, when  he  entered  the  gate  of  Detroit  with  his 
warriors  and  saw  at  the  first  glance  that  his  plot  had 
been  betrayed,  and  the  commandant  was  ready  for 
him.       But,    like    that    bafHed    miscreant,    Asher 


FREEt  213 

repressed  every  sign  of  his  mortification,  and  sur- 
veyed the  two  men  as  if  he  expected  them. 

Gray  Wolf  had  tomahawk,  knife,  and  rifle,  the 
last  the  weapon  belonging  to  the  captive,  while  the 
second  warrior  was  similarly  armed.  It  was  a  hope- 
less fight  against  these  two,  when  not  a  single  fire- 
arm was  in  his  grasp. 

Pontiac  was  through  with  his  part,  and,  without 
another  word,  he  turned  his  face  away  and  strode  in 
the  direction  of  his  village,  quickly  disappearing 
from  sight. 

The  presence  of  Gray  Wolf  and  his  companion 
removed  all  doubt  from  the  mind  of  Asher  Norris 
as  to  the  intended  treachery  on  the  part  of  Pontiac. 
The  chieftain  had  resolved  that  the  prisoner  should 
never  recross  the  Detroit  river ;  he  should  be  slain 
before  he  could  make  the  attempt. 

Everything  pointed  unerringly  to  this  fact.  If 
Pontiac  meant  that  the  young  man  should  go  free, 
what  need  of  these  two  warriors  ?  All  that  Asher 
could  have  asked  was  that  he  and  the  leader  should 
part  just  as  they  had  done,  beyond  sight  of  any  one 
else.  If,  with  such  advantage,  he  could  not  take 
care  of  himself,  he  would  absolve  Pontiac  from  all 
blame. 

What  could  be  clearer  than  the  whole  plot  of  the 
Ottawa  ?  He  had  promised  Madge  that  the  pris- 
oner should  be  released,  and  would  report  to  her 


214         rONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

that  he  had  led  him  beyond  the  village,  and  there 
parted  with  him.  This  would  be  true,  and  could  be 
verified  if  she  asked  for  it.  If  it  should  turn  out 
that  he  had  failed  to  reach  his  home,  the  fault  would 
be  his  own  in  not  avoiding  some  of  the  Ottawas  that 
were  always  abroad.  She  could  not  blame  her  royal 
lover  for  that. 

One  cause  of  wonderment  with  Asher  was  that, 
through  all  his  perils,  he  had  been  allowed  to  retain 
his  hunting  knife.  He  still  had  his  powder  horn 
and  bullet  pouch,  but  they  were  of  no  account  so 
long  as  his  rifle  was  in  the  hands  of  his  enemy. 
Either  of  his  custodians  could  bring  his  gun  to  a 
level  and  shoot  him  at  whatever  moment  the  whim 
took  possession  of  the  savage. 

Having  settled  into  the  belief  that  the  task  of 
assassination  was  turned  over  to  these  two  willing 
instruments,  the  youth  strove  to  think  of  some  des- 
perate means  to  defeat  them.  His  natural  thought 
was  of  leaping  upon  Gray  Wolf,  as  the  more  for- 
midable of  the  two,  wrench  the  gun  from  him, 
shoot  the  other,  and  engage  the  former  in  personal 
combat. 

This  was  a  wild  scheme,  but  he  would  have 
adopted  it,  had  the  chance  offered,  even  with  the 
remote  prospect  of  success.  He  reflected  that  the 
instant  he  seized  one  of  the  Ottawas,  the  other 
would  take  the  alarm.     Even  if  the  youth's  assault 


FREE?  215 

was  resistless,  it  would  require  a  few  seconds  to 
crush  Gray  Wolf  and  place  him  hots  de  combat^  dur- 
ing which  his  companion  would  not  be  idle. 

As  has  been  said,  however,  Asher  Norris  only 
needed  the  chance  to  embrace  it,  but  Gray  Wolf 
acted  as  if  he  held  a  suspicion  of  the  determination 
in  the  brain  of  their  captive.  Both  he  and  his  com- 
panion kept  several  paces  away,  though  the  prisoner 
affected  an  ease  that  he  was  very  far  from  feeling. 

While  events  proved  that  Asher  was  right  in  his 
belief  regarding  these  two  wretches,  he  erred  in 
another  respect.  It  was  fortunate  for  him  that  the 
opportunity  did  not  offer  for  assailing  Gray  Wolf, 
for  surely  he  never  could  have  succeeded  in  his 
purpose.  He  suspected  they  would  resume  the 
journey  to  the  river,  passing  round  the  upper  end  of 
the  settlement,  and  not  making  any  demonstration 
against  him  until  the  water  was  reached ;  it  was  this 
supposition  that  was  wrong. 

The  two  may  have  asked  themselves  the  natural 
question  as  to  why  they  should  defer  the  pleasure 
of  slaying  one  of  their  hereditary  enemies.  They 
knew  that  it  was  the  wish  of  Pontiac  that  he  should 
be  slain,  and  the  circumstances  being  such  that  the 
usual  torture  was  out  of  the  question,  the  sooner 
the  job  was  over  the  better. 

The  three  were  probably  an  eighth  of  a  mile 
beyond  the  Ottawa  village  and  a  less  distance  from 


'  '"i-ir  rill-  1tfiiili'Siiiiiif(t'il- 


j&. 


2l6         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

the  northern  extremity  of  the  Canadian  settlement. 
The  woods  were  dense,  and  there  was  a  considerable 
undergrowth.  The  day  was  not  so  sultry  as  the 
preceding,  the  fall  of  rain  having  cooled  the  air, 
while  a  gentle  breeze  stole  through  the  branches  of 
the  trees. 

Asher  glanced  sharply  about,  but  saw  no  one. 
He  did  not  expect  to  discover  a  friend,  but  sus- 
pected that  other  warriors  were  threading  their  way 
to  the  spot.  Following  the  motion  of  his  eyes,  the 
Ottawas  did  the  same,  but  did  not  seem  to  be  any 
more  successful. 

Asher  stood  looking  at  his  guardians,  but  did  not 
speak.  His  attitude  and  manner  indicated  that  he 
was  waiting  their  orders.  They  had  started  as  if  to 
lead  the  way,  but  before  he  began  following  them, 
they  abruptly  halted  and  talked  together  in  low  tones. 

At  that  moment  no  more  than  a  dozen  yards 
intervened  between  captive  and  captors.  The 
former  stood  motionless,  intently  watching  them, 
for  he  saw  a  sinister  meaning  in  their  actions.  Of 
what  were  they  conversing  ? 

To  his  dismay,  this  had  not  lasted  more  than  two 
minutes,  when  Gray  Wolf  emitted  a  peculiar  excla- 
mation, as  if  to  attract  attention,  and  raising  the 
rifle  in  his  hands,  carefully  sighted  at  Asher  Norris. 
Although  unspeakably  startled,  the  latter  darted 
behind  the  trunk  of  a  tree  near  him.     Since  it  would 


FXEEf  217 

have  been  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  for  the 
Ottawa  to  shoot  him  while  making  the  movement, 
his  refraining  from  doing  so  indicated  that  he 
meant  to  have  some  amusement  with  his  victim 
before  ending  his  existence.  It  was  incompatible 
with  Indian  nature  to  allow  a  hapless  prisoner  to  die 
a  quick  death  when  there  was  any  chance  of  tortur- 
ing him,  even  by  deferring  for  a  few  minutes  his 
taking  off.  Asher  had  interposed  the  large  trunk  of 
the  oak  between  him  and  the  savage,  and  was  safe 
for  the  moment.  But  he  instantly  risked  his  life 
again  by  peeping  from  behind  his  shield  to  learn 
what  his  tormentors  were  doing. 

Gray  Wolf  had  lowered  the  gun  and  he  and  his 
companion  were  laughing  so  merrily  that  their 
bodies  shook — an  unusual  sight  in  an  Indian.  It 
was  high  old  fun  for  both  of  them. 

The  youth  had  about  made  up  his  mind  to  run 
for  it,  taking  his  chances  of  dodging  among  the 
trees,  when  he  discovered  that  a  change  of  procedure 
had  begun.  While  the  second  Ottawa  kept  his 
position,  Gray  Wolf  began  moving  slowly  around 
in  a  circle,  with  his  gaze  upon  the  tree  behind 
which  Asher  was  crouching.  It  will  be  noted  that 
it  was  impossible  for  the  trunk  to  screen  him  for 
more  than  a  few  seconds.  When  the  two  Indians 
stood  at  the  corners  of  a  triangle  he  would  of  neces- 
sity be  in  the  range  of  one  of  them. 


2l8         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

Gray  Wolf  walked  slowly  to  the  left,  coming 
somewhat  nearer  so  that  nothing  could  intervene  for 
more  than  a  moment  between  him  and  his  victim. 
Since  to  avoid  him  would  bring  Asher  within  sight 
of  the  other,  he  stood  still.  The  tragedy  might  as 
well  end  then  and  there,  providing  his  enemies  were 
willing  it  should.  As  for  himself,  he  was  resolved 
not  to  furnish  any  more  entertainment  by  his  futile 
efforts  to  escape,  when  escape  was  out  of  the 
question. 

Gray  Wolf's  mirth  having  subsided,  he  seemed  to 
decide  to  wind  up  the  farce  at  once.  He  raised 
Asher's  rifle  once  more  to  a  dead  level  and  carefully 
sighted  along  the  barrel.  It  was  an  appalling  ordeal 
for  the  youth,  thus  to  hold  his  position  instead  of 
whisking  behind  the  tree,  but  he  bravely  did  so. 

Closing  his  eyes,  he  commended  his  soul  to  Him 
who  gave  it,  and  awaited  the  last  awful  moment. 

The  next  moment  the  sharp  whip-like  crack  of  a 
rifle  split  the  air,  and  Asher  quivered  as  if  the  bullet 
had  entered  his  body.  But  he  knew  the  next 
instant  that  it  had  not. 

He  was  unharmed !     He  was  untouched! 

*'  He  has  missed!"  was  the  thought;  "  there  is 
hope  for  me !  " 

But  what  meant  that  wild  shriek  which  mingled 
with  rather  than  followed  the  report  of  the  rifle  ? 

Dazed  and  at  a  loss  as  to  whether  he  had  heard 


IN   THE   NICK   OF   TIME. 


Page  2l8. 


FREEf  219 

aright,  Asher  stared  toward  the  point  where  had 
stood  G.ay  Wolf  with  levelled  rifle.  As  he  did  so, 
he  saw  an  astonishing  sight. 

It  was  the  Ottawa  that  emitted  the  frenzied  cry, 
and,  at  the  moment  Asher  perceived  him,  he  had 
leaped  several  feet  into  the  air,  with  arms  out- 
stretched and  the  gun  falling  from  his  grasp,  as  he 
sprawled  forward  on  his  face  as  dead  as  Julius 
Cxsar. 

"  Look  out,  you  lunkhead!  there  *s  another  of 
the  consarned  varmints!"  called  the  invincible 
ranger  Jo  Spain  from  some  point  near  at  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SHE  'LL  do   it. 

SINCE  Ashcr  Norris  stood  with  the  tree  between 
him  and  the  other  Ottawa,  he  had  only  to 
maintain  his  position  to  be  safe  for  the  moment, 
while  by  alertness  he  could  hope  to  avoid  any  shot 
from  him.  The  sound  of  his  relative's  warning  told 
him  his  situation  on  the  instant,  and  he  did  not 
stir. 

Having  discharged  his  Bess,  the  ranger  could  do 
nothing  more  until  it  was  reloaded,  which  he  set 
himself  to  do  with  incredible  deftness,  in  order  to 
give  attention  to  the  Indian  that  as  yet  was  un- 
scathed. Meanwhile  he  stood  close  to  a  tree,  ready 
to  dodge  behind  it  if  the  warrior  turned  upon  him. 

In  the  thrill  of  the  moment  the  youth  could  not 
help  peeping  cautiously  from  behind  his  shield,  to 
see  how  matters  stood. 

The  second  Ottawa  was  dazed  for  an  instant,  and 
then,  observing  what  had  befallen  Gray  Wolf,  and 
suspecting  that  other  enemies  were  at  hand,  he 
wheeled  and  ran  for  his  life.  He  was  in  the  act  of 
starting  when  Asher  caught  sight  of  him.    Without 

aao 


SHE  'LL  DO  IT.  221 

hesitation  the  youth  dashed  from  behind  the  tree, 
and  with  a  few  bounds  was  beside  the  h'feless  body, 
and  had  snatched  up  his  loaded  lifle. 

Events  passed  with  a  bewildering  swiftness.  Be- 
fore he  could  bring  the  weapon  to  his  shoulder,  and 
ere  Jo  Spain  could  finish  reloading  his  gun,  the 
panic-stricken  warrior  had  vanished  among  the  trees 
in  the  direction  of  his  village,  when  the  s:out  strode 
into  view,  and  extended  his  hand  to  his  nephew. 

"  It  looks,  younker,  as  if  I  arriv  at  about  the 
right  time." 

"  Nothing  could  have  been  more  providential," 
was  the  grateful  response.  "  I  had  given  up  all 
hope. ' ' 

*'  Never  say  die  till  you  'r^  dead." 

"  And  I  was  close  to  that !  If  Gray  Wolf  had  not 
indulged  in  a  little  amusement  you  would  have  been 
too  late." 

"  It  sort  of  has  that  look;  but,  younker,  what 
hev  you  been  up  to  that  I  find  you  in  this  scrape  ? 
What  bus'ness  had  that  varmint  with  your  gun  ?  " 

"  It  *s  quite  a  story.  Uncle  Jo." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  it  '11  keep,  and  since  these  quar- 
ters mought  become  a  little  hot,  'spose  we  make  a 
shift  to  a  safer  spot. ' ' 

The  ranger  strode  off  with  his  long,  silent  tread, 
until  they  had  gone  several  hundred  yards  deeper  in 
the  forest,  but  in  a  northern  direction,  so  that  they 


222        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

V 

were  that  much  farther  from  the  Ottawa  village  and 
the  Canadian  settlement.  Then,  reaching  a  fallen 
tree,  he  sat  down  on  it,  as  if  there  were  no  such 
thing  in  the  world  as  hostile  redmen,  while  Asher, 
hardly  able  as  yet  to  realize  the  wonderful  fortune 
that  had  come  to  him,  se;ited  himself  beside  him, 
smiling,  radiant,  and  happy. 

"  Begin,  younker,  and  let  's  hev  it  all." 

And  thus  encouraged,  the  youth  told  the  princi- 
pal events  in  his  experience  since  his  arrival  at 
Detroit,  the  ranger  listening  attentively  and  now 
and  then  making  a  characteristic  comment. 

'  *  Things  hev  got  sorter  mixed  while  I  was  prowl- 
ing through  the  woods, ' '  he  remarked ;  "  I  knowed 
nothin'  'bout  Madge  Linwood,  till  this  mornin', 
when  Major  Gladwyn  told  me." 

"  But  I  understood  from  him  that  you  expected 
to  be  absent  for  several  days,  so  I  had  no  thought 
of  receiving  your  help." 

"  It  was  proverdence,  younker,  proverdence;  the 
Major  wanted  me  to  take  a  good  squar'  peep  at  all 
the  Injin  villages  for  some  miles  'round,  and  that 
was  something  that  could  n't  be  done  under  a  week. 
But  howsumever,  and  inasmuch  as  I  had  n't  been 
out  long  when  I  seed  something  that  I  thought  he 
oughter  know,  I  went  back  with  the  news.  Then  I 
diskivered  that  Pontiac  had  several  hundred  var- 
.  mints  that  had  jined  him  from  the  south  and  it 


SHE'LL  DO  IT.  223 

struck  r  kj  as  a  good  thing  that  the  Major  should 
know  tl  it.  Accordingly,  as  I  afore  obsarved,  I 
dropped  in  at  Detroit  to  tell  him  this  mornin'  when 
I  heerd  about  Madge,  likewise  about  yourself. 
And  then  I  was  mad. ' ' 

"At  whom?" 

"At  you." 

"And  why  at  me?"  asked  his  nephew,  well 
knowing  what  was  coming. 

"  'Cause  you  was  such  an  infernal  fool,  and  I 
'spose  always  will  be ;  some  folks  is  born  that  way, 
and  you  're  one  of  them  folks  !  " 

"  What  have  I  done  that  is  so  foolish  ?  " 

"  Do  you  ask  me  that  question  when  you  haven't 
forgot  what  's  just  took  place  ?  " 

"  But  do  you  suppose,  Jo,  that  I  could  remain 
idle  at  home,  knowing  that  Madge  was  a  prisoner  of 
Pontiac?" 

"  Did  n't  her  own  folks  tell  you  to  do  the  same  ? " 

"  And  mine  encouraged  me  to  do  the  opposite." 

"  That  's  where  you  get  your  tomfoolery  from; 
you  inherit  it.  Peggy  Norris,  your  mother,  is  my 
sister,  and  I  have  frequently  made  the  same  obser- 
vation to  her  ever  since  she  was  a  gal.  In  the  fust 
place,  you  did  n't  know  that  Madge  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Otterwas,  but  larnin'  it  afterwards  you 
go  nosin'  round  the  village  and  got  yourself  took. 
Did  you  cackerlate  that  that  was  goin'  to  yank  her 


224        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

out  of  her  trouble  ?  Did  it  do  the  same  afore- 
said ? " 

There  was  hard  sense  in  the  rough  words  of  the 
ranger,  and  his  nephew  was  forced  to  respond  after 
a  moment's  silence: 

"  I  admit  that  I  have  acted  foolishly,  but,  Jo,  I 
could  not  sit  down  and  mourn  her  as  dead  when  I 
knew  she  was  alive. ' ' 

"  And  you  thought  that  by  goin'  dead  yourself  it 
would  fix  things  for  her;  howsumever,  we  '11  drop 
that  part  of  the  aforesaid  subject,  which  I  reckon 
the  same  is  n't  the  most  pleasant  thing  to  talk 
about." 

"  You  have  n't  told  me  how  you  happened  to 
arrive  here  in  the  nick  of  time. ' ' 

"  There  ain't  much  to  tell.  When  I  heerd  the 
'ticklers  this  mornin'  I  made  a  purty  good  guess  at 
the  truth.  Madge  was  a  prisoner  at  one  of  the 
villages,  most  likely  that  of  Pontiac,  and  you  was 
somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  tryin'  to  get  a 
squint  at  her.  So  I  sot  out  to  take  a  peep  at  the 
nest  of  Otterwas  over  there.  I  was  on  my  way  to 
do  the  same,  when  I  arriv  here ;  that  's  all  there  is 
to  it." 

"It  is  wonderful,  wonderful,"  repeated  Asher, 
who  but  for  the  sight  of  his  grim  relative  at  his  side, 
and  the  presence  of  his  good  rifle  in  his  two  hands, 
might  have  fancied  he  was  dreaming;  "  but,"  he 


SHE'LL  DO  IT.  22$ 

added,  rousing  himself,  "  the  dreadful  fact  remains 
that  Madge  is  still  in  the  power  of  Pontiac,  and  I 
see  no  way  of  saving  her ;  do  you  ? ' ' 

Instead  of  directly  replying,  Jo  Spain  crossed  his 
sinewy  legs,  folded  his  arms,  so  as  to  inclose  the  rifle 
between  his  knees,  and  stared  off  among  the  trees. 
He  was  in  deep  thought.  Asher  waited  for  him  to 
speak,  meantime  studying  the  bronzed  countenance, 
with  its  rugged  lines,  expressive  of  determination, 
mingled  with  a  certain  humorous  nature  which  mani- 
fested itself  at  the  most  unexpected  times. 

He  slowly  shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  see  any  way  of  helpin'  the  gal." 

"  Then  are  we  to  abandon  her  to  her  fate  ?  "  de- 
manded Asher,  excitedly. 

"  I  did  n't  say  that,  but  I  do  say  it  's  'bout  the 
best  thing  for  you  to  do,  which,  bein'  the  same 
aforesaid,  it  's  just  the  thing  you  won't  do.  You 
see  the  way  of  it  is  that  king  varmint  of  a  Pontiac  is 
in  love  with  Madge. ' ' 

Asher  had  been  careful  to  give  no  intimation  that 
such  was  his  own  conviction,  and  he  was  startled  by 
the  blunt  declaration  of  his  relative. 

"  Is  that  favorable  or  unfavorable  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  either,  'cordin*  to  the  cuteness  of  the 
gal.     I  consider  her  as  cute  as  they  make  'em." 

"  How  will  the  fact  that  he  is  in  love  with  her 

prove  to  Madge's  advantage  ?  " 
■s 

IS. 


I  m  iiiiiMiia^iiiMl'aMiiii  — 1^  iwiiiilfci^'irttTibii— Am 


226        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

"  Pontiac  is  sich  a  highfalutin'  big-headed  var- 
mint,  like  some  folks  I  know,  which  the  same  I 
ain't  mentionin'  their  names,  that  he  's  fool  'nough 
to  think  he  can  git  the  gal  to  'gree  to  become  his 
squaw,  and  she,  seein'  the  same  can  play  off,  keep- 
in'  him  at  his  distance." 

•*  But  that  cannot  go  on  forever." 

"  No;  I  sh'd  ruther  say  not." 

*'  Nor  for  very  long;  he  will  not  be  content  to 
wait ;  he  will  lose  patience. ' ' 

"  Them  words  of  yours  is  true." 

"  The  question,  then,  is  how  long  can  she  play 
this  double  part,  which  must  be  revolting  to  her 
whole  nature." 

"  I  should  say  for  three  or  four  days." 

"  Heavens  !  and  what  then  ?  " 

••  Don't  ask  me  to  guess;  I  '11  say,  howsumever, 
that  if  she  does  n't  git  away  from  that  infarnal  vil- 
lage inside  of  the  next  three  days,  you  '11  never  see 
her  agin." 

Asher  caught  his  breath,  and  yet  this  was  the 
very  belief  that  had  taken  possession  of  him.  It 
sounded  brutal,  however,  to  hear  another  speak  so 
plainly  of  the  horrible  fact. 

"  Is  there  no  way  you  can  think  of  by  which  she 
can  be  helped  ? '  * 

"It  is  n't  clear  to  me  now;  the  fust  thing  that 
naterally  would  come  to  mind  is  that  of  scoopin'  in 


SHE'LL  DO  IT.  22/ 

some  vallyble  warrior  and  offerin*  to  trade  him  for 
the  gal,  but  there  's  one  'bjection  to  that,  rayther, 
I  should  say,  there  's  two  of  the  same." 

"  What  are  they  ?  " 

"We  've  got  to  scoop  the  warrior,  which  must  be 
a  chief,  and  the  way  ain't  clear  for  doin'  of  the 
same;  the  next  'bjection  is  that  bein'  that  Pontiac 
is  in  love  with  the  gal,  he  won't  trade  her  off  for 
any  dozen  chiefs  we  might  catch.  So  that  plan  will 
hev  to  be  shelved." 

"  Is  there  no  one  of  whom  Pontiac  is  fond — say 
his  wife " 

Jo  Spain  interrupted  his  nephew  with  a  hearty, 
though  silent  laugh. 

"  Would  n't  the  old  varmint  be  glad  to  let  us  hev 
his  squaw  while  he  kept  the  purty  gal  ?  I  reckon 
nothin'  would  suit  him  better.  No;  he  don't  love 
any  one  'ceptin'  the  gal  aforesaid ;  you  've  got  to 
think  up  something  better  than  that.  Likewise, 
you  forgit  that  if  he  wanted  to  keep  his  reg'lar  wife, 
it  would  be  as  hard  for  us  to  scoop  her  as  to  pick  up 
Madge  and  run  off  with  her. '  * 

**  You  hold  out  no  hope  at  all!  "  was  the  despair- 
ing exclamation  of  Asher  Norris. 

"  Not  quite  as  bad  as  that,"  replied  the  scout, 
who  felt  something  akin  to  pity  for  his  young  rela- 
tive, whose  heart  was  wrapped  up  in  the  sweet  girl ; 
"  I  've  been  thinkin' " 


22S         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

He  hesitated,  as  if  in  doubt  whether  to  express 
his  thought. 

"  Tell  me  what  it  is. " 

"  Do  you  know  where  Catharine,  that  Ojibwer 
gal,  is?" 

In  his  hurried  story,  Asher  had  not  referred  to 
her. 

"  Why,  she  's  with  Madge  !  I  ought  to  have 
told  you." 

For  the  first  time  since  their  meeting,  the  ranger 
showed  excitement.  He  unfolded  his  arms  and 
wheeled  upon  his  nephew  with  the  question : 

"  Are  you  sartain  of  that  ?  " 

"  I  saw  her;  it  was  she  who  gave  me  the  first  hint 
of  the  feeling  which  Pontiac  holds  towards  Madge." 

The  ranger  refolded  his  arms,  nodded  his  head 
several  times,  and  said,  partly  to  himself: 

"  Umph  !  that  begins  to  look  better — yes,  that 
looks  better. '  * 

The  heart  of  the  youth  was  thrilled  by  hope. 

"  Tell  me,  Jo,  in  what  way  ?  " 

"  Well,  now  that  's  a  hard  thing  to  do,  seein*  as 
how  I  don't  clearly  see  the  same  myself,  but  it  's 
this  way :  Madge  is  as  bright  as  she  can  be,  and  the 
Ojibwer  is  ekerlly  bright ;  consequently  and  afore- 
said, when  they  puts  their  heads  together,  they  are 
twice  as  bright  as  they  was  before ;  it  '11  be  them 
two  agin*  Pontiac,  and  he  '11  hev  to  git  up  seven- 


SHE'LL  DO  IT.  229 

teen  hours  afore  daybreak  if  he  wants  to  outwit 
them  critters." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right,  but  I  have  a  dreadful 
fear." 

"Agin',  too,"  added  Jo,  disregarding  the  last 
remark,  "  Pontiac  and  the  rest  of  the  varmints  think 
the  Ojibwer  gal  hates  us  folks  as  much  as  he  does. 
Strange  that  it  should  be  so,  but  it  's  a  fact,  which 
the  same  gives  the  gal  the  biggest  kind  of  a  chance 
to  do  some  fine  work,  and,  younker,  she  '11  do  it!  " 


,■*■ 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  PLOTTERS. 

• 

IT  will  be  recalled  that  Pontiac,  chief  of  the  Otta- 
was,  after  turning  over  Asher  Norris  to  the 
mercies  of  Gray  Wolf  and  his  equally  savage  com- 
panion, set  out  to  return  to  his  village,  which  he 
had  left  a  short  time  before  with  the  prisoner  in 
his  charge,  and  to  whom  he  had  promised  the  free- 
dom he  never  intended  to  grant. 

The  warrior  who  escaped  the  shot  of  Jo  Spain, 
the  ranger,  started  over  the  same  journey  some  time 
after  his  chief,  but  reached  camp  at  about  the  same 
minute,  because  he  travelled  a  good  deal  faster  than 
his  leader. 

It  was  a  surprising  story  told  by  the  messenger: 
At  the  moment  Gray  Wolf  held  his  rifle  levelled  to 
shoot  the  prisoner  he  was  killed  by  a  party  of  white 
men  concealed  in  the  woods  near  at  hand,  and  from 
whom  the  other  Ottawa  barely  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing with  his  life.  Asked  to  tell  the  number  of 
enemies,  the  warrior  was  unable  to  do  so,  but  it  was 
his  opinion  that  there  must  have  been  nearly  or 
quite  a  score.     Gray  Wolf  lay  where  he  had  fallen, 

830 


THE  PLOTTERS.  23 1 

unless  his  foes  had  carried  away  his  body,  something 
they  would  not  be  likely  to  do. 

Pontiac  did  not  give  a  thought  to  the  one  that 
had  lost  his  life  in  trying  to  carry  out  his  will.  That 
was  too  common  an  occurrence  to  affect  him,  but 
he  saw  that  in  the  presence  of  so  large  a  party  of 
white  men  near  his  village  which  caused  him  uneasi- 
ness. What  could  be  their  errand  except  to  make  a 
dash  for  the  rescue  of  the  white  maiden  who  was  a 
captive  in  his  lodge  ? 

He  was  angered  that  Asher  Norris  had  succeeded 
after  all  in  getting  clear  of  his  captors.  He  knew 
that  the  youth  looked  with  partial  eyes  upon  Morn- 
ing Light,  and  he  half  suspected  that  Morning  Light 
returned  the  loving  looks.  The  only  absolute 
surety,  in  a  case  of  that  nature,  lay  in  the  taking  off 
of  the  youth,  who,  he  intended,  should  perish  as 
Pierre  Muire,  the  Frenchman,  had  perished. 

And  yet,  since  the  chieftain  held  Morning  Light 
inextricably  in  his  power,  what  difference  could  it 
make  to  him  where  his  rival  was  ?  At  any  rate,  it 
was  no  time  now  to  give  thought  to  him.  The 
errand  of  the  rescue  party  so  near  the  village  must 
be  learned. 

Pontiac,  therefore,  lost  no  time  in  summoning 
three  of  his  most  skilled  scouts,  whom  he  sent  out 
with  orders  to  gather  the  information  he  wished. 
If  a  dozen  or  twenty  men  were  in  the  neighborhood, 


232         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

steps  must  be  taken  to  ambuscade  or  cut  them  off 
from  returning  to  Detroit.  Among  the  three  war- 
riors was  the  one  that  would  have  fallen  a  victim  to 
Jo  Spain's  rifle  had  he  tarried  but  a  few  seconds 
longer  until  the  ranger  was  through  reloading  his 
weapon. 

Pontiac  was  sufficient  of  a  philosopher  to  perceive 
how  the  mishap  could  be  turned  to  his  own  account. 
He  could  now  assure  Morning  Light  that  the  other 
prisoner  had  not  only  been  set  free,  but  had  gotten 
safely  away,  and  would  soon  be  at  Detroit  if  he  but 
exercised  ordinary  care.  She  could  not  help  feel- 
ing profoundly  grateful  for  the  immeasurable  favor 
thus  done  her,  and  in  her  overflow  of  thankfulness 
would  be  in  the  right  mood  to  appreciate  the  great 
war-chief  of  the  Ottawas.  Would  she  not  be  proud 
to  become  the  queen  of  him  who  was  to  be  above 
all  others  of  his  kind  ? 

Because  of  the  brief  time  that  had  passed  since 
leaving  her  presence,  Pontiac  probably  reflected 
that  the  maiden  would  not  be  quite  ready  to  accept 
the  statement  that  Asher  Norris  was  beyond  the 
reach  of  harm  from  his  enemies.  She  would  wait 
for  other  proof,  and  it  would  be  wiser,  therefore,  to 
remain  away  from  her  until  all  doubt  on  her  part 
was  removed. 

Pontile  proved  that  he  was  not  only  a  philoso- 
pher, but  a  sagacious  lover,  when  he  thus  restrained 


THE  PLOTTERS.  233 

his  natural  yearnings  and  took  advantage  of  every 
incident  that  could  be  turned  in  his  favor.  He  was 
an  exception  to  his  own  people  in  this  respect,  in 
truth  to  many  of  the  paler-faced  race,  for  often  the 
one  with  the  reputation  of  wisdom  becomes  a  fool 
when  the  heart  is  at  stak^. 

He  had  halted  on  the  edge  of  the  village  to  await 
the  return  of  the  three  scouts.  His  presence  was 
noted  by  many,  but  none  dared  to  go  near  him 
without  a  summons.  He  had  smitten  a  warrior  to 
the  earth  for  speaking  to  him,  when  the  chief  was  in 
one  of  his  vicious  moods. 

But  a  light  footstep  caused  him  to  turn  his  head, 
and  the  hard,  painted  face  lit  up  when  he  recognized 
Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  maiden,  smilingly  approach- 
ing. As  has  been  intimated,  Pontiac,  with  all  his 
sagacity,  never  suspected  the  loyalty  of  this  remark- 
able girl,  who  had  saved  the  garrison  of  Detroit 
from  massacre  by  revealing  the  Ottawa's  plot  to 
Major  Gladwyn.  He  was  always  glad  to  see  her, 
for  he  believed  she  had  dore  him  inestimable  service 
by  making  known  many  of  the  secrets  of  the  post, 
and  he  did  not  doubt  her  when  she  declared  she 
would  risk  her  life  whenever  he  wished  to  do  his 
will. 

The  conversation  between  these  two  will  read 
better  if  liberally  translated,  which  may  thus  be 
done. 


234        PONTJAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

"  Ooroa,"  he  said,  addressing  her  by  her  Ojibwa 
name,  for  he  never  would  recognize  that  which  she 
had  received  from  the  white  people,  "  Pontiac  is 
happy  to  see  you,  for  you  arc  a  true  friend  of  your 
race." 

"I  try  to  be,"  was  the  hypocritical  response, 
**  but  why  did  Pontiac  allow  the  white  captive  to  go 
back  to  his  people  ?  " 

"  How  know  you  that  ?  " 

"  I  saw  him  pass  with  Pontiac  alone,  and  when 
you  came  back  he  was  not  with  you.  I  followed 
you,  too,"  she  added,  pertly,  "  for  I  wondered 
what  was  the  will  of  Pontiac,  whose  heart  is  too  kind 
toward  his  enemies. ' ' 

"  It  was  the  prayer  of  Morning  Light,  and  I  could 
not  refuse  her,  for  she  is  dear  to  Pontiac." 

The  pretty  dark  eyes  of  Ooroa  expanded  as  if 
with  wonder,  when  the  artful  girl  "  knew  it  all." 

"  Gray  Wolf  was  shot  and  his  friend  ran  away." 

"  Because  there  were  many  white  men  hiding  in 
the  woods." 

"  There  was  but  one,"  said  she  with  a  scornful 
gesture;  "  he  was  the  great  hunter  that  they  call 
Spain." 

"  Does  Ooroa  tell  me  that  which  her  eyes  told 
her?" 

"  I  do ;  I  was  hiding  in  the  wood ;  I  saw  Gra" 
Wolf  fall,  then  the  white  man  ran  forward  and  took 


THE  PLOTTERS.  2%% 

the  hand  of  the  prisoner  that  Pontiac  set  free ;  the 
comoanion  of  Gray  Wolf  forgot  that  he  had  a  gun 
and  fled  to  the  village  so  fast  that  he  almost  stepped 
upon  the  heels  of  the  great  Pontiac." 

Here  was  news  for  the  sachem  of  the  Ottawas. 
He  could  not  doubt  that  Ooroa  spoke  the  truth  and 
that  she  had  seen  everything  as  described.  The 
score  of  enemies  had  dwindled  to  one  or  rather  two, 
since  the  young  man  secured  possession  of  his  gun 
and  joined  his  friend,  who  went  so  opportunely  to 
his  help.  The  scouts  must  soon  return  and  confirm 
what  she  had  told  him. 

"  Where  goes  Ooroa  now  ?  " 

"To  see  her  friend  Morning  Light  in  the  lodge 
of  Pontiac." 

"  That  is  well,  and  she  will  tell  Morning  Light 
that  the  prisoner  is  safely  on  his  way  to  the  fort  ?  " 

"  That  I  will,  indeed;  she  will  know  that  Pontiac 
speaks  with  a  single  tongue,  and  shows  more  mercy 
to  his  enemies  than  they  do  to  him." 

The  black  eyes  of  the  scoundrel  sparkled.  Who 
of  us  is  not  susceptible  to  flattery  ?  And  the  words 
of  the  Ojibwa  were  the  most  welcome  that  could 
have  been  uttered,  for  they  encouraged  and  fanned 
his  love  for  the  white  maiden.  The  wise  Ooroa  was 
playing  a  fine  game. 

"  Soon,"  said  he,  with  a  sweeping  gesture,  "  Pon- 
tiac will  be  king  of  all  the  country ;  there  wiU  be  no 


236         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

white  men  but  those  he  chooses  may  live,  and  they 
shall  be  the  friends  of  Morning  Light.  She  shall  be 
queen  over  them  all!  " 

The  daubs  of  paint  could  not  hide  the  glow  of 
exultant  anticipation  which  shone  on  his  counte- 
nance at  this  magjnificent  picture.  It  was  the  dream 
that  nerved  his  arm  in  battle,  the  realization  of  the 
hopes  of  years,  an  ambition  whose  grandeur  was 
like  that  which  later  enabled  the  marvellous  Corsi- 
can  to  overturn  thrones  like  tenpins,  to  pull  down 
and  build  up,  until  he  threatened  to  disturb  the 
"  equilibrium  of  the  universe." 

It  was  at  this  point  that  the  cunning  Ooroa 
played  what  might  be  termed  her  trump  card. 
Affecting  to  be  awed  by  the  impressiveness  of  the 
picture  drawn  by  the  great  chieftain,  she  said : 

"  Let  Pontiac  speak  to  Morning  Light  this  night, 
for  Ooroa  will  talk  with  her  and  prepare  her  for  his 
coming." 

Strange  how  a  man  in  the  situation  of  the  Ottawa 
sachem  relies  upon  the  frailest  support!  He  had 
resolved,  despite  the  misgivings  first  felt,  to  go 
into  the  presence  of  Madge  Linwood  and  press 
his  suit  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature,  which  could 
ill  brook  resistance ;  but  the  counsel  of  one  of  his 
own  race,  and  she  belonging  to  the  weaker  sex, 
changed  his  intention  on  the  instant. 

"It  shall  be  as  Ooroa  says,"  and  without  another 


THE  PLOTTERS.  237 

word,  he  turned  his  back  and  walked  away,  meeting 
the  scouts  whom  he  saw  returning,  while  the  Ojib- 
wa  slowly  took  her  way  to  the  royal  lodge. 

The  Ottawas  who  came  back  gave  a  report  con- 
firming what  Ooroa  had  told  the  chieftain.  It  was 
only  a  single  white  man  that  had  come  upon  the 
scene  so  unexpectedly.  The  trail  showed  that  he 
and  the  released  prisoner  had  gone  off  in  company, 
and  there  was  no  effort  to  follow  them,  since  it 
would  have  been  useless. 

The  messenger  who  first  brought  the  startling 
message  seemed  to  expect  a  fierce  rebuke  from  his 
chieftain,  but  none  was  given.  Pontiac  may  have 
seen  nothing  blamable  in  the  conduct  of  the  war- 
rior, or  possibly  the  influence  of  the  passion  burning 
in  his  rugged  heart  induced  an  unwonted  calmness 
and  charity,  altogether  foreign  to  his  nature. 

It  was  now  afternoon,  and  the  sachem  proceeded 
to  carry  out  a  plan  formed  earlier  in  the  day.  He 
had  had  a  long  consultation  with  the  latest  arrivals, 
and  it  was  his  wish  to  confer  with  the  Pottawato- 
mies,  on  the  western  bank  below  Detroit.  To  do 
so  it  was  necessary,  of  course,  to  cross  the  river,  and 
he  took  with  him  the  three  scouts  who  had  just 
returned,  and  who  had  sent  others  to  bring  in  the 
body  of  Gray  Wolf. 

Catharine  was  happy  because  she  knew  that  the 
news  she   bore   with   her  would   make   her   friend 


238         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAIVAS. 

happy.  Her  affection  for  Madge  Linwood  was 
wonderfully  deep  and  abiding.  The  sweet,  pure, 
fragrant  nature  of  the  girl  would  have  attracted  any 
one,  the  evil  as  well  as  the  good,  as  was  shown  in 
the  case  of  the  chief  of  the  Ottawas.  It  was  char- 
acteristic of  the  love  of  Catharine  that  she  was  ready 
to  risk  her  life  for  the  sake  of  Madge,  but  mingled 
with  and  forming  a  part  of  the  warp  and  woof  of 
this  devotion  was  a  vein  of  shrewdness  and  cunning 
that  prevented  her  from  doing  anything  rash  or  of 
a  character  to  endanger  the  schemes  constantly  re- 
volving in  her  mind. 

That  Catharine  had  not  already  imperilled  her  life 
was  because  she  had  not  seen  how  any  good  could 
be  accomplished  by  doing  so.  She  now  felt  that 
the  hour  was  at  hand,  and  she  was  ready  to  pay  the 
cost. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  two  thai  Pontiac's  wife 
held  so  imperfect  a  knowledge  of  English  that  they 
could  talk  with  little  fear  of  their  whole  meaning 
being  understood.  Nevertheless,  the  Ojibwa  sat 
down  beside  Madge  and  warded  ofif  the  danger  by 
sinking  her  voice  almost  to  a  whisper. 

"  He  is  free!  "  were  her  first  words. 

Madge's  eyes  beamed  with  delight. 

"  No!    Can  it  be  ?    Is  there  no  mistake  ?  " 

And  then  Catharine  told  her  story,  hastening  to 
add: 


THE  PLOTTERS,  239 

••  It  was  the  will  of  Pontiac  that  Gray  Wolf  should 
shoot  him,  for,  had  it  not  been  the  will  of  Pontiac, 
Gray  Wolf  would  not  have  dared  to  try  to  do  so. 
He  came,  oh  so  near  success,  but  the  great  hunter, 
Spain,  was  in  time,  and  he  and  the  one  you  love 
walked  away  together." 

The  happy  Madge  clasped  her  hands  and  mur- 
mured : 

'•  Thank  heaven !  Asher  is  safe !  How  thankful 
lam!" 

"  But,"  said  the  Ojibwa,  in  a  still  lower  whisper, 
and  glancing  furtively  at  the  woman  busy  with  her 
household  duties  a  few  feet  away,  "  now  we  must 
think  of  yourself." 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

A  SURPRISE. 

PONTIAC  and  the  three  Ottawa  warriors  walked 
through  their  own  village,  shortly  reaching 
the  French  settlement,  where  their  steps  were 
as  proud  and  indifferent  as  if  the  rude  town  was  a 
subjugated  one,  which,  in  truth,  was  the  fact,  since 
all  the  inhabitants  held  him  and  his  followers  in  the 
greatest  possible  fear.  They  did  not  glance  to 
the  right  or  left  until  they  reached  the  edge  of  the 
river,  where  a  number  of  their  own  canoes  lay 
beside  those  used  by  the  Canadians. 

With  that  deference  which  his  subjects  always 
showed  him,  they  waited  for  him  to  indicate  which 
was  to  be  used.  Without  speaking  he  pointed  to 
a  boat  large  enough  to  carry  half  a  dozen  men. 
They  shoved  it  clear  of  the  shore,  and  one  held  the 
prow  while  the  chieftain  stepped  in  and  seated 
himself  at  the  end  which  was  to  serve  as  the 
stern.  Rather  curiously,  Pontiac  had  not  his  rifle 
with  him,  although  each  of  the  others  was  fully 
armed. 

When  he  was  seated  the  three  took  their  places, 

240 


A   SURPRISE,  241 

first  laying  their  guns  in  the  bottom  of  the  craft. 
They  turned  their  backs  upon  him  as  each  picked 
up  a  paddle,  so  that  the  entire  company  faced  in  the 
direction  in  which  they  were  going.  Bearing  in 
mind  that  the  Pottawatomie  village  lay  some  dis- 
tance to  the  south  of  Detroit,  and  on  the  same  side 
of  the  river,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  most  direct 
course  of  the  party  was  diagonally  down  stream. 
Instead  of  taking  that  direction,  however,  they 
headed  toward  the  fort,  a  fourth  of  a  mile  below, 
but  in  plain  sight. 

The  Ottawa  canoe  was  barely  one  hundred  yards 
from  shore  when  the  one  at  the  front  ceased  pad- 
dling with  a  "  huh !  "  which  caused  the  other  two  to 
stop  work  almost  at  the  same  instant.  Pontiac  had 
noticed  the  cause  of  their  agitation.  From  the 
wooded  shore  on  the  other  side  issued  another 
canoe,  in  which  were  seated  two  persons.  They 
were  white  men,  and  acted  as  if  they  intended  to 
attack  Pontiac  and  his  companions. 

The  demonstration  was  so  threatening  that  the 
chieftain  might  well  pause.  For  a  few  minutes  no 
one  in  the  Ottawa  canoe  spoke,  while  all  narrowly 
studied  the  other  boat,  which  continued  to  approach 
at  a  deliberate  speed,  as  if  the  occupants  were  sure 
of  their  game  and  felt  no  need  to  hurry.  The  next 
"  huh!"  came  from  Pontiac  himself,  and  signified 
that  he  had  identified  the  two  in  the  other  canoe : 


242        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

they  were  Jo  Spain,  the  ranger,  and  his  nephew, 
Asher  Norris. 

A  savage  chagrin  must  have  gnawed  at  the  heart 
of  the  sachem  when  he  witnessed  this  irony  of  fate. 
The  youth  whom  he  meant  treacherously  to  slay 
was  now  advancing  to  attack  him ! 

It  was  the  scout  that  was  swinging  his  paddle  in 
his  easy  fashion,  while  Asher,  gun  in  hand,  atten- 
tively watched  the  Ottawas.  Although  the  distance 
was  considerable,  the  youth  was  seen  to  bring  his 
gun  to  a  level  and  take  a  quick  aim.  Then  came  a 
blue  puff  of  smoke,  the  dull  report,  and  the  bullet 
whistled  within  an  inch  of  the  head  of  the  foremost 
canoeist. 

It  has  been  said  more  than  once  that  Pontiac  was 
not  lacking  in  personal  bravery.  He  must  have 
bewailed  that  he  had  left  his  own  gun  behind  him, 
but,  although  his  companions  longed  to  turn  about 
and  hasten  to  the  shore  they  had  just  left,  he  would 
not  permit  it.  Bending  forward,  he  picked  up  one 
of  the  weapons  from  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  and 
aiming  with  the  same  care  as  the  white  man,  let  fly. 

**  A  confounded  good  shot,"  coolly  remarked  the 
ranger,  who  almost  felt  the  bullet  as  it  spun  past 
his  temple;  "  now  the  aforesaid  Mr.  Joseph  Spain 
will  see  whether  his  hand  has  lost  its  cunnin'." 

He  laid  down  his  dripping  paddle,  picked  up 
"  Bess,"  and  sighted  her  carefully  at  the  group  who 


A   SCRPRISE.  243 

were  still  a  goodly  distance  away.  Bang!  and  with 
a  single  screech  the  foremost  Ottawa  leaped  half  to 
his  feet  and  sprawled  overboard  with  a  shock  that 
came  within  a  hair  of  overturning  the  canoe. 

**  It  sorter  looks  as  if  the  aforesaid  Joseph  Spain 
got  there,"  remarked  the  scout,  as  he  observed  the 
effects  of  his  shot. 

Asher  had  meanwhile  reloaded  his  piece,  and  the 
ranger  was  doing  the  same,  both  keeping  sharp 
watch  of  their  enemies. 

"  If  it  's  all  the  same  to  you,  and  you  haint  any 
'bjections  to  bobbin'  your  head,  why,  younker,  I 
beg  to  suggest,  as  aforesaid,  that  you  bob  now, 
bein*  as  how  it  looks  as  if  one  of  the  varmints  was 
squintin'  in  this  direction  agin'." 

But  Asher  Norris  had  not  awaited  the  completion 
of  this  lengthy  warning,  for,  seeing  what  was  com- 
ing, he  crouched  as  low  as  possible  in  the  boat. 

And  just  then  Jo  Spain  did  a  wonderful  thing. 
The  time  was  insufficient  for  him  to  complete  the 
loading  of  his  rifle,  and,  aware  from  what  had 
already  taken  place,  that  the  Ottawas  were  adepts 
in  marksmanship,  he  snatched  the  gun  from  his 
nephew's  grasp,  brought  it  to  his  shoulder,  and  fired 
so  quickly  that  it  seemed  impossible  for  him  to  take 
any  kind  of  aim. 

His  purpose  was  to  anticipate  the  warrior  who 
was  sighting  with  such  extreme  care  that  there  was 


244         POATT/AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

every  reason  to  fear  the  result.  Had  the  ranger 
taken  the  same  time,  the  report  of  his  gun  would 
have  meant  instant  death  for  one  of  the  Ottawas. 
As  it  was,  it  struck  the  hostile  who  was  aiming  his 
weapon,  and,  though  it  did  not  terminate  his  career 
then  and  there,  it  disabled  him,  and  saved  our 
friends. 

The  gun  of  the  warrior  was  discharged,  but  the 
bullet  whizzed  high  in  the  air,  while  the  Ottawa, 
feeling  himself  "  hit  hard,"  made  a  spasmodic 
bound,  much  the  same  as  his  former  comrade,  but 
with  so  violent  a  wrench  and  twist  that  the  canoe 
was  overturned,  and  instantly  the  three  occupants 
were  struggling  in  the  water. 

"  Younker,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ? "  asked 
his  relative,  who  felt  warranted  in  showing  some 
pride  over  his  skill. 

"  I  could  n't  have  done  better  myself.  Twenty 
men  like  you.  Uncle  Jo,  could  clean  out  the  whole 
Ottawa  camp,  and  bring  Madge  home." 

"  Can't  say  as  to  that,  but  we  *d  make  things 
lively." 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?   Try  to  catch  any  more  ? " 

"  They  're  too  fur  off;  we  '11  let  'em  go." 

Never  had  Pontiac  met  a  more  exasperating 
repulse  than  this.  Had  he  possessed  a  rifle,  or  had 
not  the  canoe  been  capsized,  he  would  have  made 
haste  to  meet  the  two  white  men  that  had  not  hesi- 


A   SUXPRISE.  245 

tated  to  attack  double  their  number.  But  the 
tables  were  turned  with  a  vengeance.  Hardly  had 
the  fight  opened  when  one  of  the  warriors  was  slain, 
a  second  wounded,  and  their  canoe  upset.  This 
culmination  of  calamities  left  the  Ottawas  nothing 
to  do  but  to  get  out  of  the  scrape  as  best  they 
could,  and  it  need  not  be  said  that  they  lost  little 
time  in  doing  so. 

The  one  first  struck  sank  from  sight,  but  the  sec- 
ond swam  ashore,  arriving  directly  behind  the  chief 
and  the  other,  who  assisted  him  to  his  feet.  Then 
they  quickly  passed  in  among  the  trees,  for  all  were 
in  dread  of  another  shot,  which  was  not  fired, 
though  Jo  Spain  indulged  in  a  tantalizing  whoop  of 
triumph,  which  did  not  tend  to  soothe  the  feelings 
of  the  defeated  hostiles. 

*'  It  's  a  pity,"  remarked  Ashcr,  "  that  your  first 
shot  was  not  aimed  at  Pontiac." 

The  ranger  had  finished  reloading  his  gun  and  had 
taken  up  his  paddle.  He  abruptly  stopped  while  in 
the  act  of  dipping  it,  and  looked  inquiringly  at  his 
nephew. 

"  What  are  you  drivin*  at,  younker  ? " 

"  You  must  have  heard  what  I  said." 

"  Was  Pontiac  in  that  canoe  ? " 

"  That  was  he  sitting  in  the  stern,  and  he  fired 
the  first  shot  at  us." 

••  Well,   I  '11  be  skulped  !  "   exclaimed  Jo,   dis- 


246         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  QF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

gustedly.  "  Do  you  know,  younker,  that  I  did  n't 
obsarve  the  aforesaid  fact  ?  I  had  my  eyes  on  the 
one  in  front,  but  since  all  the  varmints  was  in  a  line, 
that  don't  excoos  me.  After  this,  when  folks  are 
huntin'  for  the  biggest  fool  in  all  creation,  please 
ask  'em  to  jine  my  name  with.yourn.  What  a  pity 
I  did  n't  wipe  him  out  when  I  had  such  a  chance!  " 

It  was  an  extraordinary  oversight  on  the  part  of 
the  ranger,  who  lost  on  that  day  the  opportunity  of 
striking  the  most  effective  blow  possible  for  Detroit, 
and,  it  must  also  be  maintained,  failed  to  do  the 
Indians  themselves  an  immeasurable  service. 

Pontiac  showed  his  resolution  by  not  returning  to 
his  village  after  this  decisive  defeat.  He  moved  up 
the  bank  until  he  found  a  suitable  canoe,  into  which 
he  and  his  unwounded  warrior  entered,  the  chieftain 
taking  the  rifle  of  the  wounded  one,  who  had  to 
limp  homeward  as  best  he  could.  With  this  boat, 
the  leader  started  anew  to  visit  the  Pottawatomie 
village ;  but  it  is  to  be  recorded  that  he  kept  to  the 
eastern  bank  until  he  had  reached  a  point  opposite 
his  destination.  Even  then  before  heading  across  he 
surveyed  the  river  to  make  sure  that  that  terrible 
craft  and  its  occupants  were  not  lying  in  wait  for 
him. 

This  time  he  suffered  no  molestation.  He  re- 
ceived cordial  welcome  among  his  allies,  but  ex- 
changed only  a  few  words,  when  he  noted  disturbing 


A   SURPRISE.  247 

signs.  Several  months  had  passed  since  the  open* 
ing  of  the  siege,  and  the  Pottawatomies  were  grow- 
ing discontented.  The  hope  of  success  was  less 
than  at  first,  and  one  of  the  leaders  intimated  that 
if  matters  did  not  soon  improve  he  would  withdraw. 

The  Ottawa  brought  with  him  the  cure  for  this 
discouragement.  He  had  received  several  hundred 
reinforcements  within  the  last  twenty-four  hours, 
besides  which  many  more  were  on  their  way.  In  a 
few  weeks,  at  the  furthest,  there  would  be  enough 
hostiles  gathered  around  Detroit  to  render  its  posi- 
tion hopeless.  If  it  was  deemed  unwise  to  risk  life 
by  an  assault  (and  the  American  Indian  generally 
looks  upon  that  style  of  fighting  as  unwise),  they 
could  shut  off  all  supplies  and  thus  starve  Major 
Gladwyn  and  the  garrison  into  submission. 

Pontiac  presented  this  view  of  matters  with  so 
much  force  that  the  ardor  of  the  Pottawatomies  was 
renewed,  and  they  became  eager  to  stay  and  take 
part  in  the  general  jollification  that  would  follow 
the  addition  of  Detroit  to  the  other  western  posts 
that  had  already  fallen  into  the  power  of  the  Ind- 
ians. So  it  was  that  the  chieftain  felt  that  he  had 
done  a  good  and  necessary  work  by  his  visit. 

When  Pontiac,  late  the  same  evening,  entered  his 
lodge,  It  seemed  to  have  been  prepared  for  his  com- 
ing. The  night  was  quite  cool,  so  that  the  bright 
fire  which    illuminated    the    interior    gave   out   a 


248         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

warmth  that  was  not  ungrateful.  The  wife,  as  if 
she  divined  what  was  coming,  was  absent  at  one  of 
her  neighbor's,  for  the  female  members  of  the 
aboriginal  race  of  this  country  are  as  fond  of  gossip 
and  chat  as  are  their  civilized  kindred. 

There  was  an  air  of  tidiness  in  the  tepee  out  of 
keeping  with  the  usual  appearance  of  such  rude 
dwellings.  The  sticks  intended  for  the  fire,  as  they 
might  be  needed,  were  piled  near  it;  a  long  bow 
and  quiver  of  arrows  leaned  against  one  of  the  furry 
sides ;  the  rifle  of  the  chieftain  was  in  another  place, 
with  the  powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch  lying  on 
the  ground  near  the  base,  while  several  articles  of 
primitive  wearing  ipparel,  partly  belonging  to  the 
chieftain  and  to  his  wife,  were  suspended  from 
the  supporting  saplings,  which  in  turn  supported 
the  buffalo  robes  that  constituted  the  walls  of  the 
dwelling. 

The  heart  of  Pontiac  must  have  throbbed  ?  little 
more  quickly  when  he  saw  the  familiar  form  of  the 
maiden  seated  on  the  robes  at  the  other  side  of  the 
tepee,  with  her  shawl  wrapped  about  her  shoulders 
and  covering  most  of  her  figure.  But  she  did  not 
look  up  as  he  entered.  She  sat  with  her  face  toward 
him,  but  it  was  covered  by  the  shawl  held  in  posi- 
tion by  her  hands,  while  her  wealth  of  luxuriant 
I'^ack  hair  fell  in  masses  over  the  face,  shutting  out 
from  view  all  except  a  small  portion  of  the  forehead. 


A   SURi  XISE,  249 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  as  if  uncertain  of  the 
proper  course  for  him.  Then  advancing  toward 
her,  he  asked  in  a  softened  voice : 

"  Will  not  Morning  Light  look  up  au  greet 
Pontiac  ? " 

She  did  not  stir  or  give  evidence  that  she  heard 
him. 

"  Pontiac  is  king  of  all  the  tribes.  Soon  he  will 
be  the  only  king  in  the  country,  and  Morning  Light 
shall  be  his  queen !  She  shall  be  the  proudest  of  all 
women ! '  * 

Unable  to  restrain  his  impatience,  he  stepped  for- 
ward and  placed  his  hand  upon  her  head. 

"  Let  Morning  Light  look  up  to  Pontiac " 

At  that  instant  the  shawl  and  enveloping  hair 
were  flung  aside,  and  the  girl  looked  up,  as  she  was 
besought  to  do. 

But  it  was  not  Madge  Linwood  who  did  so,  but 
Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  maiden. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  PLOT. 

WHEN  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa,  ceased  her  con- 
versation with  Pontiac  on  that  memorable 
afternoon,  she  knew  that  if  her  beloved  friend  was 
to  be  saved,  it  must  be  effected  before  the  rise 
of  the  morrow's  sun.  The  chieftain  would  not 
plague  her  with  his  presence  until  evening,  but 
the  imperial  savage  would  accept  no  refusal,  when 
he  went  a-wooing.  She  must  consent  to  become 
his  queen,  or,  in  other  words,  his  squaw.  He  would 
know  that  she  would  have  learned  before  that  time 
that  the  youth  for  whom  she  had  interceded  had 
been  liberated  by  Pontiac,  and  rot  only  that,  but 
that  he  was  safe  beyond  any  further  harm  from  the 
Ottawas  or  the  other  tribes  in  the  neighborhood. 

It  has  been  told  that  Catharine  imparted  the 
thrilling  tidings  to  Madge,  who  was  overjoyed.  In 
the  midst  of  her  rejoicing  the  Ojibwa  reminded  her 
that  the  time  had  come  for  her  to  think  of  herself. 

The  scheme  formed  by  these  two  plotters  was  a 
simple  one,  being  merely,  as  the  reader  has  sur- 
mised, the  exchange  of  places  by  the  two  girls,  a 

3$0 


THE  PLOT.  251 

scheme  which  even  a  century  ago  was  not  original, 
though  this  one  possessed  some  original  features. 

"  When  it  is  dark  you  will  go  forth  as  Catharine 
or  Ooroa,  while  I  shall  stay  to  meet  Pontiac. ' ' 

"  But,"  protested  Madge,  **  he  will  punish  you, 
and  I  cannot  agree  that  you  shall  suffer  on  my 
account." 

There  was  a  peculiar  smile  on  the  face  of  the 
dusky  maiden,  as  she  drew  her  knife  from  the  girdle 
about  her  waist  and  handed  it  to  the  wondering 
Madge. 

"  Now  do  as  I  tell  you.  Raise  the  knife  high,  as 
if  you  meant  to  strike  me.  Tell  me  I  must  obey 
you  or  you  will  slay  me." 

Reading  the  meaning  of  the  words  and  panto- 
mime, the  half -am  used  Madge  followed  instruc- 
tions. Then  she  handed  the  weapon  back  to  her 
friend,  who  shook  her  head. 

"  Keep  it;  you  may  need  it." 

At  this  point  in  the  programme,  the  wife  of  Pon- 
tiac unexpectedly  entered  the  lodge  and  business 
was  suspended  for  the  time,  but,  sitting  down 
beside  each  other,  the  two  conversed  in  low  tones 
and  reached  a  full  understanding. 

As  the  afternoon  wore  away,  the  squaw  stirred 
the  fire  and  prepared  the  evening  meal  in  her  aborig- 
inal fashion.  She  had  brought  with  her  a  couple  of 
plump  fish,  procured  from  some  one  on  the  outside, 


252         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

which  were  already  dressed  and  cleaned  for  the  coals 
upon  which  they  were  placed.  Madge  was  in  such 
a  flurry  over  the  crisis  close  at  hand,  that  she  had 
no  appetite,  but  urged  by  Catharine,  she  forced  her- 
self to  eat,  for,  as  was  said  to  her,  there  was  no  tell- 
ing when  she  would  gain  the  chance  to  partake  of 
food  again. 

Night  had  no  more  than  fairly  set  in  when  the 
Ojibwa  took  the  second  step  in  the  daring  plot. 
She  told  the  wife  of  Pontiac  that  the  chief  would 
return  before  long  and  wished  to  see  the  two  girls 
alone.  Like  an  obedient  and  well-trained  helpmate, 
the  squaw  passed  out,  with  the  certainty  that  she 
would  stay  away  for  a  good  while,  though  the  pos- 
sibility of  her  coming  back  and  overturning  every- 
thing remained  to  disturb  the  plotters. 

This  act  on  the  part  of  Catharine  was  a  dangerous 
one,  for  when  it  should  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  chieftain,  as  was  certain  to  be  the  case,  she 
would  have  hard  work  to  reconcile  it  with  her  inno- 
cence. All  the  same,  she  took  the  risk  without 
hesitation. 

When  Madge  left  her  home  some  nights  before  in 
the  company  of  Pierre  Muire,  her  attire  was  such  as 
was  common  with  her  sex  on  the  frontier  at  that 
time.  The  dark  brown  dress  was  of  coarse,  home- 
spun material,  while  the  dainty  feet  and  lower  limbs 
were  inclosed  more  with  a  view  of  comfort  than 


THE  PLOT.  253 

appearance,  though  none  of  these  could  conceal  the 
graceful  contour  of  her  figure.  She  wore  a  dark 
hat,  not  wholly  unlike  those  sometimes  seen  to- 
day, except  that  it  was  devoid  of  all  ornamentation. 
This  was  her  usual  dress,  but  the  thoughtful  mother 
wrapped  her  own  plain,  dull-colored  shawl  about 
her  shoulders. 

"  You  do  not  need  it  to-night,  but  you  may  before 
your  return,"  was  the  explanation  of  the  parent. 

Aside  from  her  own  fair  complexion,  it  will  be 
seen  that  this  attire  would  identify  the  girl  any- 
where. She  could  not  pass  outside  the  lodge,  by 
day  or  night,  without  being  recognized  at  once. 
Pontiac  had  given  the  most  positive  orders  that 
while  she  was  at  liberty  to  leave  her  lodge  whenever 
she  wished,  yet  she  was  never  to  be  permitted  to  go 
out  of  sight  or  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  village. 
To  fully  a  dozen  persons  he  threatened  death,  if 
this  command  was  disregarded,  and  all  thus  warned 
knew  he  would  keep  his  word.  So,  although  it  may 
seem  to  the  reader  that  an  absurd  degree  of  liberty 
was  allowed  the  captive,  yet,  in  point  of  fact,  she 
was  as  securely  guarded  as  was  Asher  Norris  while 
in  the  tepee  of  Wa-mo-aka. 

Catharine,  the  Ojibwa,  as  has  been  told,  was  a 
little  older  than  Madge  Linwood,  though  the  differ- 
ence was  hardly  manifest  in  their  appearance.  They 
were  ot  about  the  same  height  and  each  was  favored 


254         PONT  I  AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

with  an  abundant  mass  of  dark  hair,  which  generally 
hung  loose  about  her  shoulders. 

While  these  were  the  few  points  of  resemblance, 
there  was  much  variance  between  them.  The  Ojib- 
wa  had  the  barbaric  fondness  of  her  race  for  gaudy 
ornaments  and  show.  From  the  crown  of  her  luxuri- 
ant hair  projected  two  stained  eagle  feathers,  whose 
points,  curving  over,  added  to  her  striking  beauty. 
Her  chest  was  protected  by  a  close-fitting  jacket  or 
deerskin,  which  reached  to  her  neck  and  covered 
her  arms  to  the  wrists,  the  latter  as  well  as  the  neck 
being  encircled  by  rows  of  bright  colored  beads. 
Her  skirt  descended  but  a  few  inches  below  her 
knees,  and  the  fringe  was  stained  with  almost  as 
many  hues  as  the  rainbow.  The  leggings  and  moc- 
casins were  brilliantly  ornamented  in  the  same  man- 
ner, so  that  it  may  be  said  that  Catharine,  the 
Ojibwa,  was  a  typical  Indian  belle  of  a  century  ago. 

Now  it  will  be  perceived  that  if  these  two  girls 
effected  a  complete  change  of  costume,  their  per- 
sonality would  undergo,  to  a  large  extent,  the  same 
transformation,  provided  their  environments  con- 
tributed to  the  deception.  Had  Madge  Linwood 
walked  out  from  the  lodge  when  the  (Sun  was  shin- 
ing, clothed  in  the  dress  of  Catharine,  even  to  the 
drooping  eagle  feathers,  she  would  not  have  gone  a 
dozen  steps  before  recognition,  but  to  venture  forth 
in  the  darkness  of  night,  skilfully  avoiding  the  glare 
of  the  fires,  wherever  they  reached  the  outside,  and 


THE  PLOT.  255 

conducting  herself  with  discretion,  she  had  the  best 
of  reasons  for  hoping  for  success. 

And  that  was  the  plan  agreed  upon  by  the  two. 
A  complete  exchange  of  costume  was  effected, 
Catharine  insisting  upon  an  attention  to  detail  that 
seemed  superfluous  to  her  friend.  When  com- 
pleted, the  metamorphosis  was  striking.  Even 
Catharine  was  delighted. 

'  *  Your  father  and  mother  will  not  know  you, ' '  said 
the  Ojibwa,  her  black  eyes  sparkling  with  pleasure. 

"  Suppose  that,  while  I  am  walking  through  the 
village,  a  warrior  speaks  to  me ;  what  shall  I  do  ? 
What  shall  I  say  ?  " 

'•  Do  not  talk  with  him." 

*'  But  I  shall  have  to  make  some  response,  or  he 
will  become  suspicious.  * ' 

"  Say  that  you  are  sad;  you  cannot  speak." 

Madge  laughed. 

"  But  it  will  not  do  to  say  that  in  English,  for 
then  he  will  know  that  something  is  wrong. ' ' 

"  Do  not  I  speak  in  English  ? " 

"  Not  to  an  Ottawa  when  he  addresses  you  in  his 
own  tongue." 

Catharine  saw  the  difficulty,  and  bent  her  head 
in  thought.  Her  quick  wits  speedily  solved  the 
problem. 

"  I  will  teach  you  to  say  the  words  in  Ottawa. 
Now  listen!  " 

She  uttered  a  jumble  of  sounds  which  to  Madge 


256        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAlVAS. 

had  no  meaning,  but  she  quickly  committed  them 
to  memory,  catching  the  accent  and  intonation  with 
a  skill  that  Catharine  pronounced  perfect,  though 
the  other  could  not  help  a  misgiving. 

"If  any  one  addresses  you  that  reply  means  that 
you  are  sad  in  heart  and  do  not  wish  to  talk.  Now 
let  me  hear  it  again.  If  you  should  forget  it  hold 
your  peace,  but  you  will  not  forget  it." 

Every  now  and  then  as  they  talked  and  examined 
the  details  of  their  disguises,  Catharine  would  sud- 
denly turn  upon  her  companion  and  ask  her  to 
repeat  the  sentence.  Before  long  Madge  found  the 
task  so  easy  that  she  believed  she  would  incur  no 
risk  in  using  it  with  any  of  the  Ottawas. 

It  having  been  settled  as  to  what  the  course  of 
Madge  Linwood  should  be,  the  latter  now  insisted 
upon  knowing  what  means  her  friend  intended  to 
take  to  protect  herself  from  the  wrath  of  the  terrible 
Pontiac,  who  would  not  spare  any  one  that  dared 
to  cross  his  path.  Catharine  made  light  of  the 
request  and  begged  Madge  to  give  it  no  thought, 
but  it  was  characteristic  of  the  chivalrous  girl  that, 
despite  the  momentous  question  at  stake,  she  reso- 
lutely refused  to  take  advantage  of  her  friend's 
goodness  until  some  assurance  was  received  that  no 
harm  was  likely  to  befall  her. 

"  You  remember,"  said  Catharine,  with  a  pecul- 
iar smile,  "  that  you  took  my  knife  from  me,  that 


THE  PLOT.  257 

you  raised  it  over  your  head,  that  you  said  you 
would  slay  me  unless  I  did  as  you  commanded;  is 
not  that  enough  ? " 

"  Will  Pontiac  believe  you  ?  Why  did  you  not 
cry  out  ? " 

"  Through  fear  of  that  knife." 

"  Why  did  you  send  his  wife  away  ?  " 

"  Because  I  knew  he  would  wish  her  away  when 
he  returned ;  I  intended  to  go  also  when  he  came 
back,  for  he  would  see  you  alone." 

Madge  was  still  in  doubt,  seeing  which  the  Ojibwa 
added : 

"  Have  no  fear.  Pontiac  believes  Ooroa,  he  will 
not  doubt  her." 

"  I  will  try  to  believe  you,  my  dear  Catharine, 
but,  if  harm  comes  to  you  because  of  this,  I  shall 
never  forgive  myself." 

"  The  Great  Spirit  will  protect  me;  let  my  sister 
now  go." 

Madge  tenderly  embraced  and  kissed  her  devoted 
friend,  who  had  proved  her  love  by  the  dreadful  risk 
she  had  incurred  for  her  sake  alone,  and  then  she 
nerved  herself  for  the  ordeal  before  her. 

As  she  drew  aside  the  skin  that  served  for  a  door 
she  uttered  a  prayer  to  heaven,  and  began  conning 
the  words  that  had  been  taught  her  by  the  Ojibwa, 
for  instinctively  she  felt  that  the  occasion  would 
soon  arise  for  their  use. 


258         rONTlAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTaH^AS. 

It  was  comparatively  early  in  the  evening,  and 
dark  figures  were  flitting  here  and  there  among  the 
trees  and  tepees.  It  was  a  proof  of  the  close  sur- 
veillance to  which  the  Ottawas  subjected  the  pale- 
face captive,  that  the  moment  she  appeared  several 
warriors,  one  after  the  other,  approached  quite  close 
and  scrutinized  her  suspiciously;  but  her  dress, 
dimly  seen  in  the  obscurity,  and  the  downcast  face, 
hardly  seen  at  all,  were  sufficient,  and  she  moved 
slowly  onward  without  halt  or  question. 

It  was  a  curious  feature  of  this  curious  proceeding 
that  the  hardest  task  for  Madge  Linwood  was  to 
restrain  herself  from  breaking  into  a  dash  among 
the  trees  and  into  complete  darkness.  The  distance 
between  her  and  perfect  security  was  so  brief  that 
she  felt  as  though  she  must  change  her  deliberate 
walk  into  a  headlong  run,  which  in  all  probability 
would  have  proved  fatal. 

Suddenly  some  one  struck  her  a  sharp  blow  on 
the  shoulders.  She  turned  like  a  flash,  with  a  half- 
uttered  expression,  and  saw  a  figure  darting  off  in 
the  gloom.  It  was  a  mischievous  youth,  who  had 
stolen  up  behind  her  and  administered  the  blow  in 
sport  with  the  palm  of  his  hand  and  then  darted  off 
before  he  could  be  recognized.  Understanding  its 
meaning,  Madge  was  quite  content  to  suffer  the  tem- 
porary pain  for  the  sake  of  the  sense  of  additional 
security  it  brought. 


THE  PLOT.  259 

On  the  outer  verge  of  the  tepees  she  came  face  to 
face  with  two  Indians.  One  passed  on  as  if  he  saw 
her  not,  but  the  second  stopped  directly  in  front  of 
her  and  addressed  a  remark  in  the  Ottawa  tongue. 
Madge  had  the  proper  reply  pat,  and  uttered  it  in  a 
low  tone,  with  downcast  face ;  but  who  shall  imag- 
ine her  fright  when  she  recognized  the  voice  of  the 
Indian  as  that  of  Pontiac  ?  It  was  the  redoutable 
chieftain  himself  returning  to  meet  her  in  his  own 
lodge. 

It  was  natural  that  next  to  Madge,  he  should 
wish  to  speak  to  the  Ojibwa  and  learn  how  he  stood 
with  the  fair  captive.  So,  instead  of  permitting  her 
to  pass  on,  Pontiac  stepped  before  her  again,  as  she 
would  have  moved  aside,  and  addressed  another 
remark  to  her. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 


OUT  IN  THE  NIGHT. 


MADGE  LINWOOD'S  lessons  in  Ottawa  had 
enabled  her  to  master  but  the  single  express- 
ion, and  it  was  fortunate  that  such  was  the  fact, 
for  had  she  branched  out,  assuredly  she  must  have 
fallen  and  betrayed  the  secret  upon  whose  keep- 
ing her  life  depended.  She,  therefore,  did  the 
best  thing  possible  by  repeating  her  remark  in  a 
feigned  voice  and  turning  aside  once  more  as  if  to 
pass  on. 

Pontiac  hesitated.  Ooroa  must  have  knowledge 
he  was  eager  to  acquire,  and  her  declaration  that 
she  was  sad  and  did  not  wish  to  speak  only  whetted 
his  curiosity,  but  Ooroa  was  his  friend,  and  might 
still  be  of  service  to  him.  He  would  not  offend 
her.  So  he  stood  motionless,  and  gazed  after  the 
dim  figure  which  quickly  faded  in  the  gloom.  Then 
he  resumed  his  walk  toward  his  own  lodge,  never 
doubting  that  he  would  find  Morning  Light  await- 
ing him. 

Unable  to  resist  that  yearning  to  break  into  a  run, 
Madge  fled  at  a  speed  that  was  unsafe  in  the  gloom, 

ate 


OUT  IN  THE  NIGHT,  261 

even  though  she  had  now  reached  a  more  open 
part  of  the  country  into  which  the  moonlight  found 
its  way.  Glancing  frequently  behind  her,  and 
making  sure  that  she  was  not  followed,  she  breathed 
more  freely,  and  changed  her  pace  to  a  walk. 

Perhaps  it  was  natural,  after  all,  that  this  exceed- 
ingly narrow  escape  should  occur.  Catharine,  the 
Ojibwa,  acted  upon  the  belief  that  Pontiac  would 
not  return  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  yet  he  arrived 
at  the  lodge  within  fifteen  minutes  after  the  flight  of 
Mddge  Linwood,  who  shuddered  when  she  recalled 
by  what  a  narrow  margin  she  had  gained  her  start 
from  the  royal  residence. 

In  their  discussions  of  the  scheme  the  girls  had 
neglected  no  contingency  likely  to  arise.  Though 
it  would  be  an  immeasurable  gain  for  Madge  to 
shake  herself  free  of  the  village  and  its  people,  and 
though  her  prospects  of  fully  eluding  Pontiac  were 
good,  it  remained  for  her  to  cross  the  river  and  reach 
Detroit  before  she  would  be  really  safe.  Catharine 
cautioned  her  friend  to  keep  clear  of  the  French 
settlement,  for,  while  she  was  liable  to  meet  some 
of  the  Ottawas  or  Ojibwas,  who  were  always  there, 
she  was  equally  sure  of  encountering  treacherous 
white  men,  like  Jean  Chotean,  who,  to  curry  favor 
with  Pontiac,  would  betray  her  into  his  hands. 

The  understanding  was  that  Madge  should  con- 
tinue up  the  right  bank  of  the  stream  until  clear  of 


262         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

the  settlement  and  the  Indian  village.  When  there 
was  no  doubt  of  that  fact  she  was  to  approach  the 
river  opposite  the  small  island  lying  closer  to  the 
eastern  than  the  western  shore.  The  problem  of 
crossing  the  stream  and  then  making  her  way  to 
Detroit  remained,  but  that  was  not  insurmountable. 
If  she  could  find  no  canoe  nestling  along  the  bank, 
she  would  not  hesitate  to  swim.  She  was  an  ex- 
pert, and  not  afraid  to  enter  a  natatorial  contest 
against  Asher  Norris  himself. 

Catharine  promised  that  if  she  could  safely  do  so 
she  would  follow  her  friend  and  endeavor  to  meet 
her  in  the  neighborhood,  but,  unless  overtaken 
by  unexpected  danger,  Madge  was  not  to  wait 
for  her. 

The  fugitive  did  not  lag.  Pausing  only  long 
enough  to  make  sure  that  the  most  northern  cabin 
of  the  French  settlement  was  a  considerable  distance 
to  the  rear,  she  changed  her  course  to  the  left,  and, 
carefully  picking  her  way  through  the  partlj^  wooded 
and  partly  open  country,  finally  saw  with  a  relief 
indescribable,  the  reflection  of  the  moonlight  on  the 
calmly  flowing  river  a  short  distance  away. 

She  would  have  preferred  greater  darkness,  for 
when  she  reached  the  open  it  seemed  that  a  score  of 
demon  eyes  were  peeping  from  the  gloom  on  every 
hand.  Even  the  shore  to  which  she  directed  her 
steps  was  without  any  undergrowth  or  trees,  so  that 


OUT  m  THE  MIGHT.  263 

if  any  one  were  near  he  would  assuredly  observe 
her.  It  was  this  belief  that  made  her  extremely 
anxious  to  cross  to  the  other  side.  Once  there, 
although  still  in  peril,  she  would  feel  that  little 
cause  for  fear  remained. 

A  devout  expression  escaped  her  when  she  caught 
sight  of  a  canoe,  drawn  up  the  bank  and  directly  in 
front  of  her,  so  that  she  was  not  forced  to  diverge 
to  the  right  or  left  to  reach  it. 

"  Heaven  has  been  kinder  to  me  than  I  deserve," 
she  murmured;  "  I  expected  no  such  good  fortune 
as  this." 

She  hurried  to  the  little  craft,  and,  as  she  ex- 
pected, found  nothing  lacking.  It  was  large  enough 
to  buoy  two  or  three  persons,  and  the  paddle  lay 
inside,  as  if  the  owner  expected  soon  to  return. 
Madge  placed  her  hand  on  the  prow  to  shove  it 
clear,  but  at  that  moment  some  one  called : 

**  Helloa,  there!  what  are  you  doing  ?" 

The  nerves  of  the  girl  were  so  highly  strung  that 
she  leaped  back  as  if  from  the  warning  of  a  rattle- 
snake, and  glanced  affrightedly  around.  The  figure 
of  a  man  emerged  from  the  wood  and  strode  toward 
her. 

"  I  am  sad ;  I  do  not  wish  to  talk." 

This  was  the  expression  taught  to  her  by  Catha- 
rine, the  Ojibwa,  but  in  her  panic  hearing  herself 
addressed  in  English,  she  uttered  the  words  in  the 


264         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

same  tongue.  The  man  who  was  approaching 
broke  into  hearty  laughter,  which  continued  until 
he  stood  at  her  side. 

"  Why,  Catharine,  there  is  no  cause  to  be  scared 
— sacre !  what  does  this  mean  ?  " 

He  had  caught  sight  of  the  pale  affrighted  face 
and  saw  his  mistake. 

"It  is  not  Catharine — it  is  you,  Madge!  What 
sort  of  a  masquerade  have  you  started  on  that  you 
have  borrowed  the  plumes  of  the  Ojibwa  girl  ?  " 

It  was  Jean  Chotean  who  addressed  her  thus, 
and,  though  relieved  to  recognize  him,  Madge  Lin- 
wood  was  not  wholly  freed  from  fear. 

"  Jean,  I  am  fleeing  from  Pontiac.  You  know  I 
have  been  held  a  prisoner  in  his  village.  I  took 
Catharine's  dress  from  her  and  slipped  away  without 
being  noticed.  I  must  get  across  the  river  and  back 
to  Detroit  before  it  is  too  late.  Will  you  not  lend 
me  your  boat,  that  I  may  make  haste  ? " 

The  Frenchman  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  had 
known  of  the  girl's  captivity  and  did  not  doubt  that 
she  was  telling  him  the  truth. 

"  This  will  be  bad  for  Catharine,  when  Pontiac 
finds  it  out,  but,  my  dear  girl,  there  is  no  cause  for 
haste,  since  the  Ottawa  cannot  know  which  course 
you  took."  •'^^ 

"  But  he  will  search  for  me.  He  is  doing  so  now. 
His  warriors  will  soon  be  here." 


OUT  IN   THE  NTGHT.  265 

"  I  repeat  you  have  no  cause  for  fear.  He  can- 
not know  you  are  here,  so  why  will  he  come  here  ? " 

"  Jean,  why  do  you  trifle  with  me  ?  Has  he  not 
a  hundred  warriors  who  come  at  his  beck  ?  He  will 
be  enraged  and  will  set  them  hunting  for  me." 

"  The  river  will  soon  be  full  of  his  canoes.  It 
will  not  be  in  your  power  to  reach  the  other  side. 
It  will  be  true  wisdom  for  you  to  go  home  with  me 
and  stay  with  my  wife.  We  will  hide  you,  and 
when  it  is  safe  to  do  so,  take  you  across  the  river." 

"  No,  no,  no!  I  cannot  stay  on  this  side.  The 
only  hope  for  m.e  is  to  lose  not  a  moment.  Will 
you  take  me  across  ?  " 

'  *  Follow  my  advice,  Madge,  and  do  as  I  say " 

The  girl  wpiS  standing  so  close  to  the  canoe  that 
her  dress  touched  the  prow,  while  Jean  Chotean  was 
several  paces  distant.  Like  a  flash,  Madge  seized 
the  prow  and  ran  towards  the  water,  shoving  the 
craft  before  her.  The  impulse  carried  it  a  number 
of  yards  out  upon  the  surface,  she  leaping  into  it  at 
the  instant  it  was  leaving  shore,  and,  while  it  was 
still  going,  she  caught  up  the  paddle. 

The  Frenchman  was  astounded  and  angered.  He 
brought  his  gun  to  a  level,  exclaiming : 

**  I  have  a  right  to  shoot  a  thief! " 

' '  Shoot,  if  you  wish !     I  cannot  help  myself !  " 

The  weapon  remained  poised  for  a  moment,  but 
the  scoundrel  was  not  equal  to  the  great  crime.    He 


266        PONTtAC,  CHtElP  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

lowered  the  gun  with  a  muttered  execration  and 
watched  the  figure  of  the  boat  and  its  occupant,  as 
it  headed  towards  the  island,  not  far  distant.  The 
moonlight  was  so  clear  that  he  could  follow  it  with 
his  eye,  until  he  saw  it  pass  around  the  lower  end  of 
the  island,  still  making  for  the  mainland.  By  that 
time,  it  had  become  so  dim  because  of  the  obscurity 
and  shadows  that  he  could  trace  it  no  farther. 

If  the  act  of  Madge  Linwood  needed  any  proof  of 
its  wisdom,  it  was  furnished  the  next  minute,  when 
two  Ottawa  warriors  emerged  from  the  wood,  in  a 
state  of  excitement  unusual  with  their  race. 

It  proved  as  Madge  had  declared.  They  were 
already  hunting  for  her  and  in  such  numbers,  too, 
that  some  of  them  came  to  the  right  spot.  Had  she 
turned  about  to  accompany  Jean  Chotean  to  his 
home,  they  would  have  met  these  very  Indians 
before  going  a  hundred  yards,  and  had  they  arrived 
but  a  brief  while  sooner  they  must  have  seen  her  in 
the  canoe  passing  around  the  lower  end  of  the  island. 

The  Frenchman  displayed  his  treachery  again,  by 
failing  to  make  any  attempt  to  shield  the  fugitive. 
He  said  that  he  had  come  to  the  spot  just  in  time 
to  see  his  boat  disappearing  on  the  river.  There 
was  a  woman  in  it,  whom  he  supposed  to  be  Catha- 
rine the  Ojibwa,  until  he  heard  the  story  of  the 
Ottawas. 

Jean  added  what  was  almost  the  truth: 


OUT  IN  THE  NIGHT,  267 


4« 


Had  I  known  that  it  was  the  pale  face  in  her 
dress  I  would  have  slain  her,  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity." 

This  was  important  news  for  the  Ottawas,  who 
indulged  in  a  series  of  signals  which  demonstrated 
that  Pontiac  was  using  every  possible  means  for 
securing  the  fugitive  before  she  could  reach  her 
home.  They  whooped  in  their  own  peculiar  way, 
and  were  immediately  answered  by  similar  calls  from 
down-stream,  showing  that  their  signals  were  under- 
stood. Then  they  emitted  the  same  calls,  and  this 
time  the  answers  came  from  the  direction  of  the 
other  shore.  Pontiac  already  had  his  boats  on  the 
river,  if  not  on  the  other  bank.  This  was  quick 
work,  though  it  was  possible  that  those  particular 
men  were  already  there,  when  the  flight  of  the 
fugitive  began. 

* '  She  cannot  get  away !  She  is  sure  to  be  re- 
taken," was  the  gleeful  exclamation  of  Jean  Cho- 
tean,  who  saw  that  no  suspicion  attached  to  him ; 
' '  it  will  serve  her  right  for  stealing  my  boat !  " 

Meanwhile,  Madge  Linwood  was  conducting  her- 
self like  the  brave  girl  she  was.  She  would  have 
allowed  the  Frenchman  to  shoot  before  going  to  his 
home  with  him,  for  the  story  told  her  by  Asher 
Norris  left  no  room  for  doubt  that  he  intended  to 
betray  her  into  the  hands  of  Pontiac. 
'•"'  When  the  fellow  lowered  his  gun,  she  knew  there 


268         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

was  no  call  for  further  thought  of  him.  As  is  the 
fashion  in  paddling  a  canoe,  she  faced  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  craft,  her  bright  eyes  glancing  in  every 
direction,  for  she  believed  the  assertion  of  the 
Frenchman  that  the  Indians  were  abroad  on  the 
river  as  well  as  in  the  woods. 

The  position  of  the  moon  in  the  heavens  threw  a 
ribbon  of  shadow  along  the  lower  part  of  the  island 
and  the  western  shore.  It  was  this  protecting 
gloom  that  received  and  shut  her  from  the  sight  of 
the  indignant  Jean  Chotean,  and  caused  him  to 
believe  she  was  paddling  with  all  speed  for  the 
mainland  beyond — a  belief  which  he  impressed 
upon  the  two  Ottawas,  and  caused  them  to  make 
use  of  it  in  the  signalling  in  which  they  indulged. 

As  a  result  of  this  a  canoe  was  observed  coming 
up  stream,  soon  followed  by  another,  while  almost 
at  the  same  moment  a  third  shot  into  sight,  round- 
ing the  southern  part  of  the  island  and  heading 
toward  the  two  warriors  who  from  their  station  on 
land  seemed  to  be  issuing  orders  right  and  left. 

"  Sacre!  "  was  the  exultant  exclamation  of  Jean. 

**  They  must  have  seized  her,  for  they  are  coming 
over  the  very  course  she  took,  and  it  was  only  a 
few  minutes  ago  that  she  passed  that  way.  They 
met  face  to  face.     It  serves  her  right. " 

But  as  the  boat  drew  near  and  grew  more  distinct, 
he  failed  to  discern  his  own  smaller  craft  trailing 


our  IN  THE  NIGHT. 


269 


after  it.  There  were  six  brawny  warriors  swaying 
their  paddles  with  a  vigor  that  showed  they  under- 
stood  the  value  of  time  and  the  important  crisis  at 
hand. 

Even  before  the  larger  boat  ran  its  prow  against 
the  bank,  it  was  clear  that  it  contained  no  one  be- 
side the  warriors  themselves.  Furthermore,  a  few 
brief  words  made  it  plain  that  none  of  the  same 
warriors  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  canoe,  and  the 
girl  who  had  left  the  same  spot  but  a  few  minutes 
before. 


*<, 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE  CLEW. 

FOR  once  in  his  life,  Pontiac,  chief  of  the  Gtta- 
was,  war  struck  dumb  with  amazement. 
Never  dreaming  of  the  possibility  of  mistake,  he 
placed  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  her  whom  he 
supposed  to  be  Madge  Linwood  and  asked  Morning 
Light,  as  he  poetically  termed  her,  to  look  up  and 
greet  him.  The  girl  who  did  so  was  Catharine,  the 
Ojibwa  maiden. 

The  sachem  leaped  back,  as  if  struck  a  sharp 
blow.  Then  comprehending  the  trick  that  had  been 
played  upon  him,  his  soul  flamed  with  irrestrainable 
wrath.  But  Catharine  saw  the  brow  of  thunder, 
and  her  cunning  did  not  desert  her.  Bounding  to 
her  feet,  with  every  appearance  of  terror,  she  said 
in  a  tremulous  voice : 

"  O  mighty  Pontiac,  save  me!  Save  me  from 
the  pale-face  woman !  " 

His  iron  fingers  gripped  her  arm  like  a  vise,  and 
in  a  voice  of  a  deadly  anger  and  hate,  he  said : 

"  Ooroa  has  played  me  false  and  shall  die!  " 

It  had  been  her  intention  to  follow  a  different 

370 


THE  CLEW.  271 

course,  had  the  arrival  of  the  chief  been  delayed. 
She  meant  to  wait  until  Madge  Linwood  was  safe 
beyond  the  village  and  then  make  haste  to  follow 
her.  Why  should  the  Ojibwa  remain  behind  to 
meet  and  try  to  placate  the  savage  chieftain,  when 
she  intended  to  stand  by  her  friend  until  she  was 
safe  within  the  walls  of  Detroit  ? 

She  could  make  more  than  one  change  in  her 
attire,  and  perhaps  confound  herself  with  her  seem- 
ing self  that  had  gone  before,  so  that  with  a  little 
shrewdness  she  would  escape  unpleasant  attention, 
but  the  unexpected  arrival  of  the  sachem  changed 
all  this.  Catharine's  fear  was  that  her  friend  had 
not  gained  enough  start  to  serve  her,  and  her  act  in 
dropping  and  veiling  her  head  was  for  the  purpose 
of  securing  more  time  for  her.  The  trifle  gained, 
however,  was  of  no  account,  and  when  she  saw  that 
exposure  must  come,  she  remained  as  subtle  as  ever. 
The  part  she  played  was  that  she  had  been  terror- 
ized by  the  white  girl  into  obeying  her,  and  that 
she  was  in  a  state  bordering  on  collapse,  when  the 
chief  entered,  and  did  not  recognize  him  until  his 
hand  was  laid  upon  her  head. 

Pontiac  grasped  the  knife  at  his  girdle,  and  half 
drew  it.  His  piercing  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  girl 
before  him,  and  evidently  he  was  asking  himself : 

"  Is  she  deceiving  me  ?  Is  this  real,  or  is  it 
acting  ?" 


272         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS, 

And  Catharine  the  Ojibwa  stood  on  the  very 
verge  of  death.  Not  only  that,  but  she  knew  it, 
and  not  for  an  instant  did  her  wonderful  nerve 
desert  her.  She  played  out  her  part  with  a  per- 
fection scarcely  credible.  Changing  her  appeals  for 
protection,  as  she  seemed  to  realize  that  the  dread- 
ful prisoner  had  departed,  she  suddenly  threw  her- 
self with  the  same  energy  upon  another  tack. 

"  Let  the  great  Pontiac  hasten!  He  may  bring 
her  back!  Let  him  go  quickly,  or  he  will  be  too 
late!*' 

"  Which  way  went  Morning  Light  ?  "  asked  the 
crafty  chieftain,  his  hand  still  on  his  weapon.  If 
she  answered  wrongly  then  he  would  know  of  a 
surety  that  she  was  playing  him  false,  and  he  would 
strike  her  dead.  If  she  answered  rightly,  then — ^he 
would  doubt  and  wait  for  further  proof. 

"  Through  the  door  and  that  way,"  replied  the 
Ojibwa,  who,  though  she  had  not  seen  her  friend 
after  she  passed  outside  the  lodge,  yet  knew  the 
course  she  followed.  Catharine  indicated  the  right 
direction. 

Pontiac  shoved  his  knife  back  in  his  girdle.  He 
was  not  yet  convinced,  but  he  would  wait  a  brief 

while. 

The  chieftain  knew  that  he  had  met  and  ex- 
changed words  with  the  girl  not  many  rods  distant. 
He  was  ignorant  of  her  knowledge  of  Ottawa,  and 


THE  CLEW,  273 

was  not  surprised,  therefore,  by  the  few  words  she 
spoke.  Moreover,  she  could  not  be  far  off,  and  he 
might  yet  overtake  her.  He  hurried  with  all  speed 
to  the  spot  of  meeting  and  some  way  beyond,  but 
the  eager  eyes  caught  not  the  first  shadowy  glimpse 
of  her.  The  fugitive,  as  the  reader  has  learned, 
made  too  good  use  of  her  opportunity  to  be  caught 
that  easily. 

But  Pontiac  lost  no  time.  He  quickly  summoned 
a  number  of  warriors  and  made  known  that  the 
white  captive  had  escaped  a  short  time  before,  and 
that  she  would  undoubtedly  seek  to  cross  the  river 
as  soon  as  possible.  By  his  directions  many  hast- 
ened off  to  enter  canoes  and  start  out  to  intercept 
her.     For  himself  he  took  another  course. 

Aware  that  Madge  would  devote  every  effort  to 
reaching  Detroit,  he  kept  with  him  a  dozen  of  his 
best  men,  the  party  filling  two  canoes,  and  headed 
almost  directly  for  the  fort  at  Detroit.  Reaching 
that  point  with  all  speed,  the  Ottawas  separated,  so 
as  to  form  a  thin  line  in  the  woods,  which  com- 
pletely surrounded  the  stockade.  Through  this  line 
the  fugitive  would  have  to  pass,  and  since  the  war- 
riors, skilled  in  woodcraft,  would  hide  themselves  in 
the  dense  undergrowth,  he  believed  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  her  to  approach  her  home  without  dis- 
covery.    What  a  bitter  woe  for  her  to  fail  when  on 

the  threshold  of  success ! 
ii 


274  '     PONTIAC,   CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

Meantime,  the  other  Ottawas  were  fully  as  busy 
as  their  chief.  The  boat  that  came  into  shore  where 
Jean  Chotean  was  standing,  no  sooner  learned  by 
what  a  narrow  chance  they  had  missed  the  fugitive 
than  they  took  up  the  pursuit.  The  warriors  dipped 
their  paddles  deep  and  sped  away  with  utmost  speed. 

They  had  hardly  started  when  one  of  the  other 
boats  arrived.  In  this  were  four  Ottawas,  who, 
being  told  that  the  girl  had  fled  in  the  canoe  belong- 
ing to  the  Frenchman,  asked  him  to  join  in  the 
search.  He  eagerly  did  so,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be 
supposed  that  the  ardor  he  displayed  was  pretended. 
He  knew  he  could  be  of  help,  and  would  be  able 
instantly  to  identify  his  boat,  which,  being  similar 
to  many  others,  might  be  mistaken  by  the  Indians. 

When  the  craft  containing  Jean  Chotean  passed 
the  lower  point  of  the  island  the  one  that  had  pre- 
ceded it  was  out  of  sight.  The  leader  in  the  first 
canoe  called  to  the  other  to  follow  him,  and,  press- 
ing onward,  the  larger  crew  was  found  at  rest  under 
the  shadow  of  the  bank. 

A  short  consultation  was  held  and  the  course 
of  action  agreed  upon.  If  Madge  Linwood  had 
crossed  the  river  her  canoe  must  be  somewhere  near 
at  hand,  for  it  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  in  her 
haste  she  would  throw  away  precious  time  by  pro- 
pelling her  boat  for  any  distance  up-  or  down-stream, 
nor  would  she,  after  landing,  pause  to  draw  the  frail 


THE  CLEW.  275 

craft  up  out  of  sight.  It  was  agreed,  therefore,  that 
the  two  larger  canoes  should  separate,  one  going  up- 
and  the  other  down-stream,  and  carefully  examining 
the  shore  for  the  missing  boat. 

This  plan  was  immediately  followed.  Like  a 
couple  of  huge  shadows  the  boats  crept  silently 
along  the  wooded  bank,  and  drew  directly  away 
from  each  other.  One  man  in  each  wielded  the 
paddle,  keeping  as  close  as  he  could  to  land,  while 
the  others  parted*  the  undergrowth,  carefully  peer- 
ing and  groping  in  the  darkness.  This  could  not  be 
made  thoroughly  effective,  so  several  landed  from 
each  boat,  and  kept  pace  with  it,  thus  making  the 
search  so  close  and  minute  that  if  the  missing  boat 
was  anywhere  in  the  neighborhood  discovery  was 
inevitable. 

When  the  two  canoes  were  a  furlong  apart  they 
paused,  and  the  Ottawas  held  another  council. 
They  had  not  discovered  the  first  sign  of  the  craft 
in  which  Madge  Linwood  had  left  the  eastern  shore. 
If  she  had  really  crossed,  she  had  landed  at  a  higher 
or  lower  point.     Had  she  done  so  ? 

That  was  the  question  which  occupied  the  thoughts 
of  the  hostiles  engaged  upon  the  remarkable  hunt. 
Among  them  were  some  of  the  craftiest  scouts  of 
the  Ottawa  tribe,  who,  from  the  first,  had  been 
reasoning  out  the  problem,  and  now  began  to  see 
that  another  solution  was  probable. 


276         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

By  questioning  the  voluble  Jean  Chotean,  those 
in  the  larger  canoe  learned  that  at  the  moment  she 
passed  around  the  southern  end  of  the  island  they 
must  have  been  on  the  river,  coming  from  the  west- 
ern bank  beyond,  and  in  almost  a  direct  line  for  her. 
If,  therefore,  she  had  kept  on,  she  could  not  have 
escaped  detection  by  them.  But  they  had  not  so 
much  as  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  her. 

The  conclusion  was  inevitable  ;  she  had  not 
crossed  the  river,  but  taking  advantage  of  the  band 
of  shadows,  had  passed  up  the  side  of  the  island, 
and  was  at  that  moment  in  hiding  either  on  the 
island  or  somewher.*^  along  its  wooded  banks.  When 
this  decision  was  made  known  to  the  others,  they 
were  surprised  that  it  had  not  occurred  to  them 
before. 

Inasmuch  as  there  were  two  boats  with  which  to 
prosecute  the  hunt,  it  could  be  made  thorough,  by 
their  taking  opposite  directions  and  pursuing  them 
until  they  met.  In  that  way  every  part  of  the  shore 
of  the  not  very  extensive  island  would  pass  under 
scrutiny  and  the  small  canoe,  if  hiding  anywhere, 
was  sure  to  be  found. 

The  crafts  parted  at  the  lower  end  of  the  island, 
one  going  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the  left. 
The  former  had  slight  expectation  of. finding  the 
boat,  for  there  was  little  reason  to  suppose  the  fugi- 
tive would  approach  that  side  of  the  island.     It  was 


THE  CLEW.  277 

not  only  under  full  glow  of  the  moon's  rays,  but 
was  behind  the  girl,  so  that,  figuratively  speaking, 
she  would  be  following  the  back  trail,  and  she  was 
too  anxious  to  reach  home  to  do  anything  of  that 
nature. 

Jean  Chotean  was  in  the  boat  which,  passing 
around  the  end  of  the  island,  began  the  cautious 
ascent  of  its  eastern  bank.  None  of  the  occupants 
followed  it  on  shore,  as  was  done  on  the  mainland, 
for  they  could  press  the  hunt  without  doing  so. 
Inasmuch,  also,  as  their  task  was  easier  than  the 
other's,  they  made  better  progress.  Thus  they 
completed  their  course  along  the  side,  rounded  the 
upper  end  and  began  descending  the  western  rim 
before  the  other  canoe  had  passed  one  half  the 
distance. 

One  of  the  company  in  Jean's  boat  was  about  to 
step  ashore  when  an  exclamation  from  the  second 
canoe  arrested  his  action.  The  call  meant  that  a 
discovery  was  made,  and  abandoning  their  own 
hunt,  the  second  boat  was  paddled  hurriedly 
toward  its  companion. 

It  was  found  a  few  feet  from  land,  while  the 
Ottawa,  prowling  along  shore,  was  seen  in  a  smaller 
canoe,  paddle  in  hand,  holding  his  newly-found 
craft  motionless  under  the  bow  of  the  larger  boat, 
of  which  it  seemed  to  be  a  tender.  All  the  warriors 
were  scrutinizing  the  find  with  eager  curiosity,  and 


278        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Frenchman  that  they 
might  hear  his  verdict. 

There  was  hardly  a  doubt  in  the  minds  of  any 
one,  but  they  awaited  the  settlement  of  the  question 
by  the  only  one  that  could  speak  with  absolute 
certainty. 

The  new  arrival  was  swung  around  to  meet  the 
smallest  boat,  which  paddled  toward  it,  and  Jean 
leaned  over  with  his  hand  on  the  gunwale  and  scru- 
tinized it  intently.  He  scarcely  needed  to  do  so, 
and  the  Ottawas  were  not  surprised  when  he  straight- 
ened up  with  the  exclamation : 

"  That  's  my  canoe!  That  's  the  one  in  which 
the  pale-face  girl  fled !  ' ' 

Such  being  the  fact,  the  corollary  was  established 
that  she  was  on  the  island.  She  must  have  discov- 
ered the  approach  of  the  large  boat  from  the  west- 
er\?  shore  in  time  and  turned  into  the  bank  of 
shacJow  to  wait  until  it  passed  and  gave  her  the 
opportunity  to  continue  her  flight.  But  that  oppor- 
tunity did  not  come.  In  its  stead  she  was  so  hard 
pressed  that  she  was  forced  to  abandon  her  canoe 
altogether  and  take  temporary  shelter. 

To  Jean  Chotean  Madge  Lin  wood  was  as  good  as 
recaptured,  for  how  could  she  leave  the  island,  now 
that  her  boat  was  gone,  and  her  enemies  knew 
where  she  had  concealed  herself  ? 

Still,  the  island,  small  as  it  was,  possessed  enough 


THE  CLEW.  2^9 

extent  to  enable  her  to  keep  out  of  sight  until 
morning.  Had  the  Indians  been  double  their  num- 
ber  they  could  not  have  forced  her  from  cover  so 
long  as  the  night  lasted. 

The  leader  of  the  Ottawas  emitted  a  series  of 
whoops  intended  to  apprise  all  within  hearing  that 
the  fox  had  been  driven  to  its  hole  and  there  was 
no  possibility  of  its  eluding  them  much  longer.  In 
a  short  time  other  canoes,  whose  occupants  inter- 
preted the  signals  aright,  paddled  toward  the  island, 
where  before  midnight  fully  two  score  were  gath- 
ered, awaiting  the  coming  of  morn  in  order  to 
pounce  down  upon  the  hapless  fugitive. 

It  was  perhaps  because  of  the  haste  with  which 
Pontiac  undertook  the  recapture  of  Madge  Linwood 
that  he  failed  to  tell  his  warriors  two  truths  which  it 
was  important  they  should  have  known,  though 
possibly  the  chieftain  himself  was  not  aware  of  one 
of  the  truths. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

THROUGH   FOREST  AND  RIVER. 

THE  two  truths  which  it  was  important  for  the 
searchers  to  know,  and  which  Pontiac  failed 
to  tell  them,  were,  first,  that  Madge  Linwood, 
in  effecting  her  escape,  had  done  so  in  the  attire 
of  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  girl;  and,  second,  that 
the  fugitive  was  a  swimmer  of  exceptional  skill. 
It  may  have  been  that  the  chieftain  was  not  aware 
of  the  latter  fact,  but  he  knew  the  former,  and,  with 
his  well-known  sagacity,  he  should  not  have  forgot- 
ten to  make  it  known  to  his  followers,  since  a  great 
deal  might  hinge  upon  it. 

This  ignorance  prevailed  among  the  warriors,  who 
separated  and  surrounded  the  fort,  but  the  remain- 
der, who  were  keeping  watch  of  the  island,  against 
whose  shore  the  missing  canoe  was  discovered, 
learned  the  truth  from  Jean  Chotean,  so  that,  as  far 
as  they  were  concerned,  the  partial  disguise  of  the 
fugitive  could  not  serve  her. 

From  the  incidents  already  described  something 
has  been  learned  of  the  movements  of  Madge  which 
has  not  been  directly  told.     It  was  the  fact  that  in 

280 


THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER,  28 1 

passing  the  lower  end  of  the  island  she  descried  the 
Indian  canoe  just  in  time  to  avoid  it.  She  escaped 
observation  because  she  was  in  shadow,  while  that 
was  in  moonlight.  She  instantly  drove  her  canoe 
up-stream  and  close  to  shore,  where,  securely  hid- 
den from  sight,  she  silentl}/  waited  until  the  other 
rounded  the  lower  point  of  the  island,  and  passed 
from  view  in  the  direction  of  the  eastern  shore. 

The  incident  warned  Madge  that  she  could  not  be 
too  careful.  That  was  not  the  only  canoe  abroad 
that  night,  and  the  signals  which  she  heard  passing 
back  and  forth  caused  her  much  misgiving  and  un- 
easiness. Her  fear  was  that  a  second  canoe  might 
issue  from  the  shore  she  was  so  anxious  to  reach, 
and,  meeting  her  in  mid-stream  or  near  the  main- 
land, shut  off  all  possibility  of  eluding  it.  Still,  the 
chances  must  be  taken,  and  the  longer  she  stayed 
where  she  was  the  less  likely  was  she  to  effect  the 
passage  of  the  river.  With  this  conviction,  she 
dipped  her  paddle  once  more,  but  had  taken  only 
three  strokes  when  she  "  back-pedalled  "  so  vigor- 
ously that  the  canoe  was  forced  hard  against  the 
bank  she  had  just  left. 

That  which  had  alarmed  her  was  another  canoe, 
which,  like  the  first,  would  have  discovered  her  but 
for  the  shadow  along  the  shore  that  had  already 
served  her  so  well.  She  was  now  compelled  to  face 
the  problem  of  getting  across  the  river  in  the  pre- 


282         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

sence  of  the  Ottawas,  who  seemed  to  be  all  around 
her.  Beyond  question  Pontiac  was  pressing  his 
hunt  with  vigor. 

As  soon  as  she  dared,  she  carefully  pushed  her 
way  up  the  western  side  of  the  island,  eager,  yet 
afraid,  to  venture  out  on  the  surface  of  the  broad 
stream.  Foot  by  foot  she  moved  along,  until  well 
toward  the  upper  end,  where  she  again  paused,  still 
debating  whether  it  would  ever  be  possible  to  reach 
the  bank,  which  was  "  so  near,  and  yet  so  far." 

Finally  she  stepped  out  of  the  boat,  and,  thread- 
ing her  way  through  the  wood  and  undergrowth, 
reached  the  eastern  side,  half  disposed  to  return  to 
the  mainland  in  that  direction,  and  ascend  still  far- 
ther the  stream  before  repeating  her  effort  to  get 
across.  But  she  saw  that  that  was  impossible.  At 
the  same  time  she  did  not  need  to  be  told  that  to 
stay  where  she  was  until  morning  rendered  discovery 
certain.     She  might  awhile,  but  not  for  long. 

While  an  object  the  size  of  her  canoe  was  con- 
spicuous in  the  moonlight,  she  herself  would  be 
much  less  so.     A  sudden  inspiration  came  to  her. 

**  I  will  swim  across.** 

Her  dress  was  suitable  for  this,  and  she  acted 
upon  the  resolution  without  delay.  Returning  to 
the  western  side,  and  paying  no  attention  to  her 
boat,  she  softly  entered  the  water  and  with  a  prayer 
for  deliverance,  began  swimming  with  smooth,  even 


THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER.  283 

stroke  straight  away  from  the  spot  of  land  that  had 
done  her  so  good  service.  She  swam  low  in  the 
water  and  avoided  all  haste.  She  was  favored  by 
the  fact  that  the  recent  rain  had  set  free  a  quantity 
of  drift  wood,  so  that  she  encountered  limbs,  and 
now  and  then  trees,  drifting  slowly  past.  This 
made  it  likely  that  if  any  of  the  lynx-eyed  Ottawas 
observed  her,  she  would  be  taken  for  some  of  the 
dibris. 

Fully  alive  to  her  danger,  she  glanced  on  every 
side  of  her,  and  with  a  shiver  of  affright,  saw  one  of 
the  dreaded  canoes  some  distance  below  her.  Her 
relief  was  in  the  fact  that  it  was  heading  across  the 
river,  though  the  fear  that  it  was  liable  at  any  mo- 
ment to  turn  toward  her  caused  her  to  drop  below 
the  surface  and  swim  as  far  as  she  could.  When 
she  came  up,  she  was  directly  beside  a  large  limb, 
floating  down-stream.  Grasping  it  with  one  hand, 
she  used  the  other  as  a  paddle,  glad  that  fortune 
had  placed  so  safe  a  shield  within  reach. 

The  trouble,  however,  with  this  was  that  it 
retarded  her  progress,  for  it  was  slow  work  to  propel 
the  float,  which  carried  her  steadily  down-stream 
toward  her  enemies.  Finally,  she  cut  loose  from  it 
and  again  struck  out  for  the  mainland. 

This  time  the  best  of  fortune  attended  her. 
Although  she  caught  shadowy  glimpses  of  the 
dreaded  canoes  and  heard  the  signals  passing  back 


284        PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS. 

and  forth,  as  proof  of  the  diligence  with  which  the 
pursuit  and  hunt  were  pressed,  she  did  not  waver  in 
her  task  until  she  passed  beneath  the  overhanging 
vegetation,  and,  grasping  a  limb  above  her  head, 
stepped  out  upon  dry  land. 

The  Detroit  river  had  been  crossed,  and  she 
believed  the  most  difficult  and  dangerous  part  of  her 
work  was  behind  her.     But  she  was  mistaken. 

With  the  same  coolness  and  judgment  displayed 
from  the  first,  she  went  forward  until  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  shore,  when  she  turned  southward 
in  the  direction  of  the  fort.  She  was  now  on  what 
might  be  termed  the  home  stretch.  As  near  as 
she  could  judge  she  had  about  a  mile  to  traverse 
before  reaching  the  stockade,  but  did  not  dream  of 
the  cordon  Pontiac  had  thrown  around  her  city  of 
refuge. 

Fortunately  the  temperature  of  the  August  night 
was  such  that  the  bath  was  refreshing.  Her  satu- 
rated garments  clung  to  her,  but  caused  no  discom- 
fort. Had  it  been  necessary  it  would  not  have  been 
inconvenient  for  her  to  plunge  into  the  stream  again 
and  swim  to  the  other  side. 

Curious  that  with  all  the  craftiness  of  the  pursuing 
Ottawas,  the  true  method  of  the  fugitive's  escape, 
up  to  this  point,  did  not  appear  to  occur  to  them, 
but  so  it  was.  The  sagacious  redmen,  when  they 
came  upon  the  canoe,  as  already  described,  took  it 


THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER.  285 

for  granted  that  she  was  not  far  off,  and  they  sat 
down  to  wait  patiently  for  daylight,  in  order  to 
trace  her  to  her  hiding-place. 

This  was  the  natural  result  of  the  forgetfulness  or 
ignorance  of  one  fact  that  it  was  important  to  know. 

Madge  Linwood,  her  heart  filled  with  thankful- 
ness and  hope,  pressed  steadily  through  the  wood 
toward  her  home.  She  encountered  less  under- 
growth than  on  the  other  shore  and  now  and  then 
crossed  small  natural  openings,  where  the  space  was 
lit  up  by  the  moon's  rays.  She  always  felt  a  shrink- 
ing when  she  came  to  these,  and  would  have  passed 
around  them  had  it  been  possible,  but  since  that 
could  not  be  done,  she  hurried  across  and  drew  a 
breath  of  relief  when  among  the  shadows  of  the 
other  side. 

The  only  weapon  she  possessed  wc  1  the  knife,  the 
gift  of  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa,  and  that  would  have 
been  of  slight  help  when  she  met  her  enemies.  She 
had  no  expectation  of  doing  so,  but  the  fact  did  not 
lessen  her  caution. 

According  to  her  best  judgment,  she  had  gone 
about  half  the  distance  when  she  once  more  reached 
an  open  space,  no  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in 
width.  Its  course  was  at  right  angles  to  the  one 
she  was  pursuing.  She  glanced  to  the  right  and 
left,  to  learn  whether  she  could  flank  the  exposed 
tract,  but  could  not.    Not  a  tree  was  growing  on  it, 


286         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAfVAS. 

and  only  a  few  stunted  bushes  appeared  here  and 
there.  It  suggested  that  a  path  had  been  cut 
through  that  portion  of  the  wood  by  pioneers  not 
long  before,  and  the  sprouting  vegetation  had 
hardly  begun  to  refill  the  waste  place,  or  it  mfght 
have  been  that  one  of  those  tornadoes  or  cyclones, 
which  appear  to  have  been  less  frequent  a  century 
ago  than  now,  had  cut  its  swath,  which  nature  was 
sluggishly  seeking  to  hide  from  sight. 

Madge  hesitated  longer  than  usual,  until  the 
thought  that  she  was  throwing  away  valuable  time, 
spurred  her  to  venture  into  the  opening  and  to  walk 
rapidly  toward  the  other  side.  She  had  nearly 
reached  it  when  she  came  face  to  face  with  an 
Ottawa  warrior,  who  seemed  to  be  awaiting  her ! 

It  was  a  terrifying  sight  when  the  Indian  stepped 
foward  from  the  bank  of  shadow  and  addressed  some 
words  to  her. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  and  with  a 
supreme  mastery  of  her  terror,  Madge  put  her  hands 
to  her  face,  bowed  her  head  and  advanced  straight 
upon  the  mystified  Indian.     He  spoke  to  her  again. 

"  My  heart  is  sad ;  I  cannot  talk." 

She  uttered  the  words  this  time  in  pure  Ottawa. 
She  was  dressed  like  Catharine,  and  the  uncertain 
light  favored  her.  The  warrior  stood  still  and 
allowed  her  to  pass  beyond  him  and  into  the  woe  J 

And  once  again  was  shown  the  result  of  Pontiac's 


THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER.  287 

failure  to  notify  his  men  of  a  fact  which  it  was  im- 
portant for  them  to  know. 

But  it  was  an  exceedingly  narrow  escape,  and 
caused  Madge  a  shudder  of  fear.  Her  inimitable 
nerve  had  served  her  well,  but  she  had  learned  an 
alarming  truth :  the  Ottawas  were  between  her  and 
Detroit,  and  she  must  run  the  gauntlet  before 
attaining  safety. 

The  phase  of  the  situation  that  gave  her  sore  mis- 
giving was  that  if  she  reached  the  open  ground  sur- 
rounding the  palisades  during  the  night  time,  she 
could  not  be  admitted  without  exposing  herself  to 
imminent  peril.  The  gate  would  not  be  opened  for 
her  until  she  was  recognized  as  a  friend,  and  that 
would  take  so  long  that  if  the  Ottawas  were  prowl- 
ing in  the  vicinity  they  would  have  plenty  of  oppor- 
tunity in  which  to  capture  her.  The  prudent  part 
for  her  seemed  to  be  to  remain  concealed  until  morn- 
ing, when  she  could  readily  open  communication, 
bring  the  needed  help,  and  escape  all  danger. 

It  was  a  hard  task  to  do  this.  She  was  near 
home,  and  to  remain  willingly  in  the  wood^  exposed 
to  ail  manner  of  peril,  as  the  slow  hours  passed, 
until  the  light  of  the  rising  sun  drove  away  the 
shadows,  was  a  trial  which  it  is  safe  to  say  few  of 
her  sex  would  have  met  successfully. 

But  Madge  Linwood  did  it.  When  the  bright 
sunlight  filled  the  forest  arches,  she   was  a  short 


288         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

distance  to  the  northward  of  Detroit,  wakeful,  alert, 
and  full  of  hope. 

It  was  not  the  least  remarkable  feature  of  that 
which  was  remarkable  throughout  that  these  weari- 
some hours  were  passed  within  stone's  throw  of  the 
line  which  Pontiac  had  thrown  around  Detroit,  for 
no  other  purpose  than  to  intercept  her  flight  to  the 
fort.  While  she  sat  on  a  fallen  tree,  awaiting  the 
tedious  passage  of  the  hours,  a  warrior  sat  on  a 
stump  only  a  few  rods  away,  and  neither  discovered 
nor  suspected  the  presence  of  the  other. 

That  is  to  say,  neither  did  so,  so  long  as  the 
night  lasted.  When  at  last  darkness  fled  and  the 
woods  were  filled  with  light,  Madge  rose  from  the 
fallen  tree  to  resume  her  journey,  and,  as  she  did 
so,  she  became  aware  that  an  Ottawa  was  standing 
a  little  way  off,  rifle  in  hand,  and  intently  surveying 
her. 

It  was  useless  to  flee  or  to  attempt  to  make  use 
of  her  disguise.  The  Indian  had  identified  her  and 
was  probably  wondering  at  the  incongruity  of  her 
dress  and  personality.  She  was  in  savage  attire, 
but  she  was  a  white  person. 

Even  in  that  frightful  moment,  Madge  Linwood's 
courage  did  not  forsake  her.  Repressing,  so  far  as 
she  could,  her  tumultuous  emotion,  she  walked 
toward  her  enemy,  and,  gesticulating  excitedly, 
said  : 


THROUGH  FOREST  AND  RIVER.  289 

"  Flee,  Ottawa,  as  quick  as  you  can!  Delay 
not !     The  white  hunters  are  about  you  !  " 

Evic'ently  the  savage  understoood  enough  English 
to  catch  the  meaning  of  these  words,  but  he  showed 
no  haste  in  acting  upon  the  advice.  He  glanced 
toward  all  the  points  of  the  compass  with  the  quick- 
ness of  a  cat,  and  then  fixed  his  gaze  upon  the  girl 
who  was  now  immediately  before  him. 

"  If  the  Ottawa  waits  he  will  be  too  late!  He 
must  run  at  once!     Why  does  he  tarry  ?  " 

The  warrior  made  a  pretence  of  looking  to  the 
right'  and  left,  and  then  said,  with  a  grin : 

"  Where  white  man  ? — me  no  see  him — show  him 
— where  debbil  he  be  ?  " 

"  He  is  near  at  hand " 

"  Consarn  your  picter!  The  gal  's  right!  Why 
don't  you  take  her  advice  ?  " 

The  question  was  asked  by  Jo  Spain,  who  walked 
forward  from  somewhere,  with  his  rifle  a^  ^uU  cock 
and  his  finger  on  the  trigger.  To  put  it  mildly,  the 
Ottawa  was  somewhat  astonished,  for  he  could  no 
longer  doubt  the  truth  of  the  counsel  just  given  to 
him. 

»9 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CONCLUSION. 

THE  Ottawa  warrior  was  caught  under  circum- 
stances similar  to  those  which  caused  the  over- 
throw of  Gray  Wolf.  In  this  instance,  however, 
the  ranger  did  not  shoot  him,  not  because  he  was 
inclined  to  show  him  mercy,  for  the  hard  school  in 
which  he  was  trained  taught  him  a  different  creed, 
but  because  he  knew  that  the  report  of  his  gun 
would  alarm  other  hostiles  in  the  neighborhood. 

Jo  Spain  and  Asher  Norris  had  learned  of  the 
cordon  spread  around  Detroit,  and  during  the  night 
ascertained  enough  to  know  that  Madge  Linwood, 
by  some  means,  had  escaped  from  the  Ottawa  vil- 
lage and  was  striving  to  reach  home.  They  set  out 
to  give  the  utmost  aid  they  could,  and,  guided  by 
Providence,  came  to  the  right  spot  at  the  right  mo- 
ment ;  for  the  welcome  words  of  the  elder  were  yet 
in  his  mouth  when  the  youth  also  appeared  on  the 
scene.  The  glow  on  the  face  of  Madge  was  no 
brighter  than  that  on  his  when  they  approached  and 
spoke  to  each  other. 

The  Ottawa  was  one  of  those  individuals  that  had 

390 


CONCLUSION.  291 

the  wit  to  comprehend  when  an  enemy  had  scored 
the  "  drop  "  on  him,  for  the  ranger  supplemented 
his  first  greeting  and  threatening  action  by  the 
information  that  if  the  warrior  attempted  to  run  or 
to  emit  a  single  yawp,  he  would  use  him  as  a  target 
for  a  test  of  his  marksmanship.  It  was  sufficient  to 
cause  the  Ottawa  to  stand  motionless,  glum  and 
silent,  but  watchful  for  a  chance  to  get  away. 

"  Now  there  *s  no  time  for  you  two  younkers  to 
look  soft  and  talk  softer,"  added  Jo,  a  piece  of 
information  altogether  superfluous  since  the  two 
were  too  sensible  and  too  fully  alive  to  their  danger 
to  indulge  in  any  "  spooning,"  "  as  inasmuch  and 
aforesaid  the  varmints  aie  as  plenty  as  leaves  on 
the  ground." 

*'  What  are  we  to  do,  Jo  ?  "  asked  Madge. 

"  Git  into  the  fort  if  the  thing  can  be  done;  you 
and  the  younker  foller  me  and  this  sweet  lookin* 
gentleman. 

Addressing  the  Ottawa  in  his  native  tongue,  Jo 
ordered  him  to  walk  in  the  direction  of  the  fort. 

The  captive  obeyed  like  a  child,  but  he  was  as 
cunning  as  a  serpent,  and  his  captor  knew  it. 

"  The  varmint  means  to  try  some  trick,"  was  the 
latter*  s  thought  ;  "I  don't  want  to  waste  a  bullet 
on  him,  but  I  '11  do  it  if  I  hev  to." 

Before  reaching  the  edge  of  the  clearing  which 
surrounded   the   settlement   of   Detroit,   the  party 


292         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

veered  to  the  right.  The  Ottawa  was  directly  in 
front,  moving  silently  and  scowlingly,  with  the  hun- 
ter almost  upon  his  heels  and  directing  him  as  to  his 
course.  Immediately  behind  the  ranger  came  Asher 
Norris  and  Madge  Linwood,  side  by  side,  but  so 
impressed  with  the  crisis  that  they  hardly  exchanged 
a  word  or  gave  attention  to  each  other. 

The  walk  was  a  brief  one  to  the  margin  of  the 
clearing.  There  all  paused,  for  before  them  loomed 
the  high  stockades,  the  bastions,  and  the  huge  gate 
which  distinguished  the  defences  of  the  frontier 
post.  It  was  necessary  now  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  sentinels,  so  that  the  gate  would  be  opened 
to  admit  the  little  party  when  they  made  a  dash 
across  the  open  space,  with  the  certainty  of  being 
seen  by  some  of  the  Ottawas  prowling  in  the 
vicinity. 

Jo  Spain  gave  the  prisoner  to  understand  that  at 
the  first  move  on  his  part  the  youth  behind  him 
would  shoot  him  dead.  Turning  toward  Asher,  he 
added : 

"  I  'm  goin*  to  put  myself  in  front  of  the  var- 
mint, so  I  won't  be  able  to  watch  him ;  keep  your 
eye  on  him,  younker,  and  if  he  tries  to  raise  his 
gun,  let  fly  and  don't  miss,  for  if  you  do,  it  's 
*  good-by.  Uncle  Jo  ' ;  but  if  he  does  anything  else, 
like  startin'  to  run.  don't  shoot,  but  let  him  go." 

"And  why?" 


CONCLUSION.  293 

"  He  won't  have  'nough  time  to  do  much  harm, 
and  you  want  to  save  your  shot." 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish.     Have  no  fear  of  him." 

Jo  was  satisfied  that  he  and  his  friends  had  not 
been  discovered  by  any  of  the  other  hostiles  in  the 
vicinity,  though  such  discovery  was  likely  to  occur 
at  any  moment.  He  now  boldly  stepped  forth  into 
view,  and  not  only  waved  his  hat  to  the  sentinels 
on  duty,  but  signalled  to  them. 

It  seemed  an  exasperatingly  hard  task  to  attract 
their  attention,  and  while  he  was  trying  to  do  so, 
the  little  group  received  an  addition  in  the  person  of 
Catharine,  the  Ojibwa  girl,  who  slipped  out  of  the 
wood  like  a  shadow,  and  running  to  the  side  of  the 
delighted  Madge,  placed  her  arm  around  her  waist. 

**  I  have  been  hunting  you  through  most  of  the 
night,  my  sister,  and  my  heart  is  glad  that  I  have 
found  you  so  near  home." 

"  And  happy  and  thankful  am  I,  but  O  Catharine, 
we  are  still  in  great  peril." 

Jo  Spain,  a  few  paces  away,  on  the  edge  of  the 
wood,  heard  the  voices  and  glanced  back,  but  said 
nothing,  nor  did  he  change  his  position  or  cease 
swinging  his  cap  and  signalling  to  the  stupid  senti- 
nels. The  coming  of  Catharine  disconcerted  Asher 
for  the  moment,  and,  though  he  held  his  rifle 
pointed  toward  the  Ottawa,  he  turned  his  head  for 
an  instant,  and  smiled  to  note  that  the  two  girls  had 


294         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

changed  costumes,  so  that  unless  their  faces  were 
seen,  they  would  have  been  mistaken  for  each 
other. 

The  Ottawa  prisoner  took  advantage  like  a  flash 
of  this  brief  diversion.  With  one  bound  he  was 
among  the  trees,  running  like  a  deer.  Either  the 
ranger  or  the  youth  could  have  brought  him  down 
had  he  wished,  despite  the  clever  attempts  of  the 
fugitive  to  disconcert  their  aim,  by  whisking  and 
dodging  behind  the  trunks,  but  neither  of  them 
fired.  Time  had  become  so  precious  that  the  fate 
of  the  little  party  must  be  determined  before  this 
particular  hostile  could  work  them  evil,  and,  more- 
over, the  whites  valued  their  ammunition  too  highly 
to  throw  it  away. 

At  last  the  ranger  caught  the  attention  of  the 
sentinel  near  the  gate,  who  shouted  across  the  inter- 
vening space : 

"  Look  out  for  the  Indians!  The  woods  are  full 
of  them !     Make  a  run  for  it !  " 

**  Have  the  gate  ready  for  us!  "  called  back  Jo 
Spain. 

"  It  is  ready!  " 

Numerous  figures  popped  up  to  view  on  the  sup- 
ports behind  the  tops  of  the  stockaae,  ready  to  help 
the  fugitives  in  their  brief  run  for  Hfe. 

Jo  looked  round  at  his  friends,  as  if  to  see  that  aJl 
were  there. 


CONCLUSION.  295 

**  The  younker  and  I  will  lead,  and  Madge,  you 
and  Catharine  follow  a  little  way  behind  us;  we  '11 
not  run  too  fast ;  come  on !  " 

They  had  grouped  themselves  together  while  he 
was  speaking.  No  one  else  opened  lips.  They 
were  pale  but  determined,  for  each  knew  that  this 
was  the  final  crisis.  The  presence  of  the  Ojibwa 
with  the  whites  settled  her  status,  and  she  could  no 
longer  trust  herself  in  the  power  of  Pontiac  or  any 
of  his  followers. 

The  ranger  wasted  no  time  in  preliminaries.  He 
had  explained  his  wishes  and  they  were  understood. 
With  the  last  word  he  stepped  once  more  into  full 
view  in  the  clearing,  and  broke  into  a  loping  run  for 
the  large  gate  of  the  stockades,  Asher  Norris  main- 
taining his  place  at  his  side. 

Madge  waited  for  them  to  gain  a  slight  start, 
when,  holding  the  hand  of  her  friend,  she  moved 
forward  to  follow  them.  But  the  Ojibwa  held  back 
and  did  not  stir. 

*'  Come,  Catharine,"  said  the  affrighted  Madge, 
tugging  at  her  hand,  "  we  must  not  delay  a  mo- 
ment. ' ' 

**  What  does  my  sister  see  ?  "  she  asked,  pointing 
to  the  right  of  the  clearing,  from  which  issued  at 
that  moment  six  or  eight  Ottawas,  with  the  plain 
purpose  of  cutting  off  the  party  before  they  could 
reach  the  gate. 


296         PONT/AC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWAS, 

Jo  Spain  had  been  equally  quick  to  perceive  the 
new  danger. 

"  Give  'em  a  shot,  younker,"  he  said  to  his  com- 
panion;  '*  it  's  lucky  we  saved  our  powder." 

The  two  stopped  abruptly  in  their  flight,  brought 
their  guns  to  a  level  and  discharging  them  with  fatal 
effect,  both  striking  the  Indian  at  whom  they  aimed, 
though  it  happened  that  they  aimed  at  the  fore- 
most, so  that  one  shot  was  thrown  away.  The 
Ottawas  were  checked  for  the  moment,  but  others 
followed  them  from  the  wood  and  the  party  pressed 
forward  again. 

At  this  juncture  the  ranger  discovered  that  neither 
of  the  girls  had  obeyed  orders  and  had  not  yet 
emerged  from  the  wood. 

"  What  the  is  the  matter  with  them  ? "  he 

angrily   demanded,    and    then    deliberately   facing 
about,  he  called : 

"  Come  at  once,  both  of  you !  " 

Having  discharged  their  weapons,  there  was  no 
time  to  reload.  Their  guns  could  no  longer  serve 
them,  except  as  clubs. 

But  the  sentinels  on  the  stockades  were  not  idle. 
Quick  to  note  the  peril  of  the  little  party,  they 
were  shooting  as  rapidly  as  they  could  aim  and 
reload. 

"  You  lead,  younker,"  said  Jo  to  his  nephew, 


CONCLUSION,  297 

who,  not  daring  to  disobey,  bounded  in  front,  while 
the  ranger  stood  motionless  looking  toward  the 
wood  and  boiling  with  anger  that  the  girls  did  not 
appear. 

Suddenly  one  of  them  sprang  into  sight,  but  it 
was  not  Madge.  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa,  was  run- 
ning with  her  head  down,  as  if  seeking  to  hide  her 
face.  But  for  what  he  had  learned  before,  Jo  Spain 
would  have  believed  that  she  was  Madge  Linwood, 
who  was  still  out  of  sight. 

"  What  the  blazes  is  the  matter  ? "  demanded  the 
ranger,  puzzled  by  the  strange  scene,  which  was 
made  stranger  the  next  second  by  the  sight  of 
Madge  herself  issuing  from  the  wood  at  a  point  a 
considerable  distance  to  the  left,  and  hurrying 
toward  the  gate  that  was  the  destination  of  all  four. 

The  ranger's  wishes  were  followed  to  the  extent 
that  the  girls  were  at  the  rear,  leaving  the  two  men 
to  open  a  way  for  them.  This  would  have  been 
impossible  had  not  Major  Gladwyn  observed  the 
extremity  of  the  party,  and,  throwing  open  the 
gate,  sent  a  score  of  his  best  men  to  their  help. 

This  reinforcement  ended  the  fight  before  it  had 
fairly  begun.  Jo  Spain  and  Asher  Norris  were 
standing  at  bay,  each  with  his  rifle  clubbed,  waiting 
to  bring  down  the  stock  on  the  first  warrior  that 
came  within  reach,  when  there  was  a  general  stam- 


298         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE  OTTAWA S, 

pede  and  scattering  to  the  wood.  The  charging 
Ottawas  had  descried  the  others  coming  on  a  dead 
run  to  the  aid  of  the  imperilled  ones,  and  the  sight 
was  more  than  they  could  stand. 

But,  as  the  hostiles  reached  the  edge  of  the  wood, 
they  turned  long  enough  to  fire  at  the  whites.  One 
of  the  soldiers  dropped  dead,  and  Catharine,  the 
Ojibwa,  with  a  faint  cry,  flung  up  her  arms,  fell  on 
her  face,  and  lay  still. 

"  That  shot  was  fired  by  Pontiac  himself! " 
exclaimed  the  infuriated  Jo  Spain.  "  I  seen  him 
take  aim  ! ' '  with  an  execration ;  and  while  he  was 
speaking  the  ranger  snatched  a  gun  from  the  fallen 
soldier,  and  wheeled  to  fire  at  the  chieftain,  who 
whisked  out  of  range. 

Asher  Norris  had  run  to  the  side  of  the  Ojibwa 
girl,  over  whom  Madge  Linwood  was  kneeling. 
The  place  was  too  dangerous  for  them  to  remain 
th:^re,  even  though  the  hostiles  had  been  scattered 
fw  i.he  time.  They  tenderly  carried  her  within  the 
stockades,  and  to  the  home  of  Madge,  while  the 
great  gate  was  closed  and  barred. 

Poor  Catharine,  the  Ojibwa,  was  dying.  The 
bullet  of  Pontiac  had  sped  true  to  its  mission,  and 
though  the  grim  sachem  had  lost  the  pale-face 
maiden  whom  he  hoped  to  make  his  queen,  he  had 
his  revenge  in  the  death  of  the  one  that  was  the 
cause  of  his  loss. 


CONCLUSION.  299 

'*  Good-by,  sister,"  said  Catharine,  faintly,  as  she 
looked  up  with  a  sweet  smile  into  the  streaming 
eyes  of  Madge  Linwood. 

Madge  folded  her  arms  around  the  neck  of  her 
**  sister,"  and  holding  her  face  close  to  her  own, 
murmured : 

"  Good-by,  my  dear  Catharine.  God  will  reward 
you,  for  you  died  for  me. ' ' 

And  it  was  even  so.  The  Ojibwa  had  restrained 
Madge  when  the  new  danger  broke  upon  them  from 
an  unexpected  quarter,  and  sending  her  to  another 
point  on  the  margin  of  the  clearing,  deliberately 
ran  out  in  advance  of  her,  seeking  to  give  the  im- 
pression that  she  was  the  white  girl,  so  that  the 
Ottawas  would  fire  at  her,  and  thus  allow  time  for 
her  sister  to  escape.  Pontiac  alone  penetrated  the 
ruse,  and  he  defeated  it. 

With  their  cheeks  pressed  together,  with  the  soft 
hand  of  Madge  Linwood  smoothing  the  death  damp 
on  the  brow  of  the  stricken  one,  while  she  mur- 
mured her  loving  words,  the  spirit  of  Catharine,  the 
Ojibwa,  took  its  flight. 

Pontiac's  siege  of  Detroit  is  a  part  of  history. 
The  time  came  when  the  Indians  were  compelled  to 
see  the  hopelessness  of  the  giant  task  they  had 
undertaken.  The  different  tribes  fell  away  from  the 
great    Ottawa,    who,    yielding    to    the    inevitable, 


3CX)         PONTIAC,  CHIEF  OF  THE   OTTAWAS. 

signed  a  treaty  of  peace  and  gave  up  the  contest. 
A  few  years  later,  while  under  the  influence  of 
liquor,  he  was  assassinated  on  the  present  site  of 
East  St.  Louis  by  a  Kaskaskia  Indian,  bribed  thereto 
by  an  English  trader. 

THE   END. 


